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Fibers comprising starch and biodegradable polymers

a biodegradable polymer and fiber technology, applied in the field of environmental degradation-friendly fibers comprising starch and biodegradable polymers, can solve the problems of less commercial success, compositions with excellent degradability only limited processability, compositions which are more easily processable, etc., and achieve the effect of high attenuation

Inactive Publication Date: 2005-02-03
BOND ERIC BRYAN +4
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] The present invention is directed to highly attenuated fibers produced by melt spinning a composition comprising destructurized starch, a biodegradable thermoplastic polymer, and a plasticizer. The present invention is also directed towards fibers containing two or more biodegradable thermoplastic polymers. Preferably, one of the biodegradable thermoplastic polymers is a crystallizable polylactic acid.

Problems solved by technology

However, because of costs, the difficultly in processing, and end-use properties there has been little commercial success.
Many compositions that have excellent degradability have only limited processability.
Conversely, compositions which are more easily processable have reduced biodegradability, dispersability, and flushability.
Useful fibers with excellent environmental degradability for nonwoven articles are difficult to produce and pose additional challenges compared to films and laminates.
For spinning very fine fibers, small defects, slight inconsistencies, or non-homogeneity in the melt are not acceptable for a commercially viable process.
Modified starch (alone or as the major component of a blend) has been found to have poor melt extensibility, resulting in difficulty in successfully production of fibers, films, foams or the like.
Additionally, starch fibers are difficult to spin and are virtually unusable to make nonwovens due to the low tensile strength, stickiness, and the inability to be bonded to form nonwovens.
Selection of a suitable biodegradable polymer that is acceptable for blending with starch is challenging.
These requirements make selection of a biodegradable polymer to produce starch-containing fibers very difficult.

Method used

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
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  • Fibers comprising starch and biodegradable polymers
  • Fibers comprising starch and biodegradable polymers
  • Fibers comprising starch and biodegradable polymers

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

example 4

[0110] In light of the findings in Comparative Example 3 and the weakness of these fibers, a different blend composition for compounding was utilized. A 50 / 50 solution of starch in water at 90° C. was used. The starch was allowed to soak in the water until fully dissolved and the solution was clear. This starch solution was mixed in an amount equivalent to 50 parts solid StarDri 100, along with 12 parts amorphous PLA, 37 parts semi crystalline PLA and 10 parts glycerin. It was noted that this blend did not exhibit any granular structure consistent with starch that has not been fully destructured. The blend was compounded as follows: the high melting temperature semi-crystalline PLA (Tm≈170° C.) was added to the twin-screw mixer at 210° C. for 5 minutes until completely mixed. The temperature was then decreased to 130° C., at which time the starch solution and glycerin was added and the water vapor flashed off. Once the vapor was flashed off, the amorphous PLA was added and the mixtu...

example 5

[0113] The blend was compounded as in example 3 with 74 parts amorphous PLA, 24 parts StarDri 100 and 6 parts glycerine. The properties are in Table 1.

example 6

[0114] The blend was compounded as in example 3 with 27 parts PLA, 64 parts StarDri 100 and 9 parts glycerine. The properties are in Table 1.

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Abstract

Environmentally degradable finely attenuated fibers produced by melt spinning a composition comprising destructurized starch, a biodegradable thermoplastic polymer, and a plasticizer are disclosed. The present invention is also directed to highly attenuated fibers containing thermoplastic polymer microfibrils which are formed within the starch matrix of the finely attenuated fiber. Nonwoven webs and disposable articles comprising the highly attenuated fibers are also disclosed.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a divisional of Ser. No. 09 / 852,889, filed May 10, 2001.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to environmentally degradable fibers comprising starch and biodegradable polymers, processes of making the fibers, and specific configurations of the fibers, including microfibrils. The fibers are used to make nonwoven webs and disposable articles. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] There have been many attempts to make environmentally degradable articles. However, because of costs, the difficultly in processing, and end-use properties there has been little commercial success. Many compositions that have excellent degradability have only limited processability. Conversely, compositions which are more easily processable have reduced biodegradability, dispersability, and flushability. [0004] Useful fibers with excellent environmental degradability for nonwoven articles are difficult to produce and pose add...

Claims

the structure of the environmentally friendly knitted fabric provided by the present invention; figure 2 Flow chart of the yarn wrapping machine for environmentally friendly knitted fabrics and storage devices; image 3 Is the parameter map of the yarn covering machine
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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): C08L101/16D01F6/92D01F9/00D04H1/42
CPCD04H1/42D01F6/92Y10T442/696Y10T442/697Y10T442/608
Inventor BOND, ERIC BRYANAUTRAN, JEAN-PHILIPPE MARIEMACKEY, LARRY NEILNODA, ISAOO'DONNELL, HUGH JOSEPH
Owner BOND ERIC BRYAN
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