Biodegradable articles comprising degradation products derived from biodegradable materials and related methods

Abstract

The present disclosure describes articles comprising degradation products from biodegradable compounds, and related methods.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Articles that include a biodegradable material and an intrinsic binder that includes the degradation products of the biodegradable material, as well as methods for making the same, are generally described. [Background technology]

[0002] In a pristine, natural, unaffected world, there is no "waste" and everything that is produced becomes a useful input into other systems, serves as an essential component of nutrient circulation, and participates in multiple ecosystems. Of course, in a human-affected world, the sheer volume of waste streams produced worldwide is enough to harm the planet.

[0003] Today, one-third of all food produced in the world is wasted. A staggering 1.3 billion tons of food is not consumed in agriculture and food systems. The construction industry, which contributes to this waste, is one of the biggest contributors to the climate crisis. The World Economic Forum has highlighted construction waste as a major sustainability challenge, with annual waste volumes predicted to increase to 2.2 billion tons by 2025. Products and methods for reducing and / or recycling waste and repurposing it into useful goods would be beneficial. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure describes articles comprising biodegradable materials held together, at least in part, by an intrinsic binder derived from the biodegradable materials themselves (e.g., comprising degradation products of the biodegradable materials). Degradation products derived from a variety of waste sources, such as discarded orange peels, coffee husks, and other common organic waste from households and various industries, can be produced and utilized. These degradation products can form an intrinsic binder that binds together a portion of the remaining biodegradable materials (e.g., degraded materials) of the article. The present disclosure also describes methods for making articles containing such intrinsic binders. The subject matter of the present disclosure, in some cases, includes interrelated products, alternative solutions to a particular problem, and / or multiple different uses of one or more systems and / or articles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In one aspect, an article is described, comprising a biodegradable material containing at least 17% by weight and / or at most 31% by weight lignin, the biodegradable material having a first portion and a second portion, and an intrinsic binder comprising degradation products of the biodegradable material, wherein the thickness of the article is at least 1 mm and / or at most 25 mm, the porosity of the article is at least 25% and at most 80%, and the density of the biodegradable material and / or the intrinsic binder is at least 0.8 g / cm. 3 or more and 1.5g / cm 3 and the amount of glucan in the article is 47% by weight or less.

[0006] In another aspect, an article is described, comprising: a biodegradable material containing at least 17% and / or at most 31% by weight lignin, the biodegradable material having a first portion and a second portion; and an intrinsic binder comprising degradation products of the biodegradable material, wherein the thickness of the article is at least 1 mm and / or at most 25 mm, the porosity of the article is at least 25% and at most 80%, and the density of the biodegradable material and / or the intrinsic binder is at least 0.8 g / cm. 3 or more and 1.5g / cm 3or less, and the amount of glucan in the article is 54% by weight or more.

[0007] In another aspect, an article is described. The article includes a biodegradable material containing at least 0.05% and / or at most 7% by weight lignin, the biodegradable material having a first portion and a second portion, and an intrinsic binder comprising a degradation product of the biodegradable material, the intrinsic binder binding to the first and second portions of the biodegradable material. The article has a thickness of at least 1 mm and / or at most 25 mm, a porosity of at least 25% and at most 80%, and a density of at least 0.3 g / cm. 3 or more and 1.8g / cm 3 or less, and the amount of glucan in the product is not 47% to 54% by weight.

[0008] In another aspect, an article is described. The article includes a biodegradable material containing at least 0.05% and / or at most 7% by weight lignin, the biodegradable material having a first portion and a second portion, and an intrinsic binder comprising a degradation product of the biodegradable material, the intrinsic binder binding to the first and second portions of the biodegradable material. The article has a thickness of at least 1 mm and / or at most 25 mm, a porosity of at least 25% and at most 80%, and a density of at least 0.3 g / cm. 3 or more and 1.8g / cm 3 and the amount of glucan in the article is 47% by weight or less.

[0009] In another aspect, an article is described. The article includes a biodegradable material containing at least 0.05% and / or at most 7% by weight lignin, the biodegradable material having a first portion and a second portion, and an intrinsic binder comprising a degradation product of the biodegradable material, the intrinsic binder binding to the first and second portions of the biodegradable material. The article has a thickness of at least 1 mm and / or at most 25 mm, a porosity of at least 25% and at most 80%, and a density of at least 0.3 g / cm. 3 or more and 1.8g / cm 3or less, and the amount of glucan in the article is 54% by weight or more.

[0010] In another aspect, an article is described. The article includes a biodegradable material containing at least 0.05% and / or at most 7% by weight lignin, the biodegradable material having a first portion and a second portion, and an intrinsic binder comprising a degradation product of the biodegradable material, the intrinsic binder binding to the first and second portions of the biodegradable material. The article has a thickness of at least 1 mm and / or at most 25 mm, a porosity of at least 25% and at most 80%, and a density of at least 0.3 g / cm. 3 or more and 1.8g / cm 3 or less, and the amount of glucan in the article is not between 47% and 54% by weight.

[0011] In another aspect, a method is described, comprising using a biodegradable material containing 0.05% or more and / or 7% or less by weight lignin and having a first portion and a second portion, performing the following steps: reducing the particle size of the biodegradable material to an average diameter of 10 mm or less and / or 1 mm or more; degrading at least a portion of the biodegradable material into degradation products of the biodegradable material and degraded material; and forming an intrinsic binder comprising the degradation products of the biodegradable material, wherein the intrinsic binder binds to the first and second portions of the biodegradable material, wherein the amount of glucan in the article is 47% or less by weight.

[0012] In another aspect, a method is described, comprising using a biodegradable material containing at least 0.05% and / or at most 7% by weight lignin and having a first portion and a second portion, performing the following steps: reducing the particle size of the biodegradable material to an average diameter of at most 10 mm and / or at least 1 mm; degrading at least a portion of the biodegradable material into degradation products of the biodegradable material and degraded materials; and forming an intrinsic binder comprising the degradation products of the biodegradable material, wherein the intrinsic binder is bound to the first and second portions of the biodegradable material, wherein the amount of glucan in the article is at least 54% by weight.

[0013] In yet another aspect, a method is described, comprising using a biodegradable material containing at least 17% and / or at most 31% lignin by weight and having a first portion and a second portion, performing the following steps: reducing the particle size of the biodegradable material to an average diameter of at most 0.005 mm and / or at least 15 mm; degrading at least a portion of the biodegradable material into degradation products of the biodegradable material and degraded materials; and forming an intrinsic binder comprising the degradation products of the biodegradable material, wherein the intrinsic binder is bound to the first and second portions of the biodegradable material, wherein the amount of glucan in the article is not between 47% and 54% by weight.

[0014] In another aspect, a method is described, comprising using a biodegradable material containing at least 0.05% and / or at most 7% by weight lignin and having a first portion and a second portion, performing the following steps: reducing the particle size of the biodegradable material to an average diameter of at most 10 mm and / or at least 1 mm; degrading at least a portion of the biodegradable material into degradation products of the biodegradable material and degraded materials; and forming an intrinsic binder comprising the degradation products of the biodegradable material, wherein the intrinsic binder is bound to the first and second portions of the biodegradable material, wherein the amount of glucan in the article is at most 47% by weight.

[0015] In another aspect, a method is described, comprising using a biodegradable material containing at least 0.05% and / or at most 7% by weight lignin and having a first portion and a second portion, performing the following steps: reducing the particle size of the biodegradable material to an average diameter of at most 10 mm and / or at least 1 mm; degrading at least a portion of the biodegradable material into degradation products of the biodegradable material and degraded materials; and forming an intrinsic binder comprising the degradation products of the biodegradable material, wherein the intrinsic binder is bound to the first and second portions of the biodegradable material, wherein the amount of glucan in the article is at least 54% by weight.

[0016] In yet another aspect, a method is described, comprising using a biodegradable material containing at least 17% and / or at most 31% lignin by weight and having a first portion and a second portion, performing the following steps: reducing the particle size of the biodegradable material to an average diameter of at most 0.005 mm and / or at least 15 mm; degrading at least a portion of the biodegradable material into degradation products of the biodegradable material and degraded materials; and forming an intrinsic binder comprising the degradation products of the biodegradable material, wherein the intrinsic binder is bound to the first and second portions of the biodegradable material. The method further comprises the steps of: (a) reducing the particle size of the biodegradable material to an average diameter of at most 0.005 mm and / or at least 15 mm; (b) degrading at least a portion of the biodegradable material into degradation products of the biodegradable material and degraded materials; and (c) forming an intrinsic binder comprising the degradation products of the biodegradable material, wherein the intrinsic binder is bound to the first and second portions of the biodegradable material; wherein the amount of glucan in the article is not between 47% and 54% by weight.

[0017] Other advantages and novel features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of various non-limiting embodiments of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the event that this specification and a document incorporated by reference include conflicting and / or inconsistent disclosure, the present specification shall control. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] Non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are schematic and are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, identical or nearly identical components shown are typically represented by a single numeral. For clarity, not every component is labeled in every drawing, nor are every component of every embodiment of the present invention shown where such illustration is not necessary for those skilled in the art to understand the invention.

[0019] [Figure 1A] FIG. 1A illustrates a method of forming an article of biodegradable material, according to some embodiments. [Figure 1B] FIG. 1B illustrates a method of forming an article of biodegradable material, according to some embodiments. [Figure 1C] FIG. 1C illustrates a method of forming an article of biodegradable material, according to some embodiments. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram illustrating the surface finish of an article, according to some embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The following disclosure describes articles (e.g., mats) that reduce the amount of common organic waste by recycling it into usable, recyclable articles suitable for a variety of purposes, including construction, packaging, and insulation. These and other applications are described in more detail below. The articles described herein, derived from waste materials, strike a balance between biodegradability to prevent future waste generation and robustness to meet user requirements (e.g., flexibility, stiffness, water resistance). By adopting a waste philosophy, this "waste" can be transformed into valuable articles (e.g., mats) that can be recycled and reused. By utilizing a wide range of waste streams as feedstocks, articles (e.g., mats, composite materials) can be produced with tunable properties, such as tunable mechanical properties (e.g., flexibility, stiffness, thermoplastic behavior, etc.) and / or tunable chemical properties (e.g., water resistance).

[0021] Also described are methods for converting waste materials (e.g., surplus resources, by-products from existing industries) into items with desirable properties suitable for high-demand applications and products. These methods include a variety of processing techniques, including grinding, shredding, comminuting (e.g., hammer milling, ball milling), acid treatment, pressing, and / or steam treatment (e.g., steam explosion). Other techniques may also be included, as described in more detail below.

[0022] Various embodiments describe biodegradable articles comprising an intrinsic binder, including articles of degradation product biodegradable material, and methods for processing these biodegradable materials (e.g., waste materials such as discarded orange peels, coffee grounds, etc.) to produce degradation product biodegradable articles that can reduce or eliminate the need for additional additives (e.g., external binders) to the article. In some embodiments, one or more degradation products form (at least a portion of) an intrinsic binder, which can bind remaining biodegradable material (e.g., particles of biodegradable material and / or degraded biodegradable material) to itself, thereby forming an article comprising the biodegradable material and the remaining biodegradable material and the intrinsic binder.

[0023] In comparison, many existing materials made from biodegradable waste feedstocks require the addition of external binders to hold the feedstock (i.e., residual particles of the feedstock) together as a cohesive whole. For example, one existing material can be made from waste wood pulp resulting from industrial processes. This wood pulp can be processed by shredding it into small pieces, and the pieces can be bound together with an external binder that adheres the shredded wood pulp pieces together. However, these external binders can adversely affect the properties of the resulting material, for example, by over-stiffening the material or reducing the material's recyclability or reusability.

[0024] In the context of the present disclosure, it is understood that the amount of external binders (and / or other additives) can be significantly reduced, and in some cases eliminated, by using the articles and methods provided herein. By treating a degradable waste feedstock (e.g., a biodegradable material) to release certain degradation products, these degradation products can form a binder derived directly from the biodegradable material. This binder can act as a binding agent (i.e., an intrinsic binder). That is, the biodegradable material (e.g., a biodegradable material derived from a waste feedstock) is treated to produce an intrinsic binder comprising at least a portion of the biodegradable material's degradation products. This intrinsic binder can be used to bind a portion of the remaining biodegradable material (e.g., a portion of the biodegradable material, a degraded material) and / or additional components of the article comprising the intrinsic binder.

[0025] In some cases, an external binder may be added, but the amount of external binder required to bind the remaining raw materials together is less than the amount that would be required if no intrinsic binder were present, thereby reducing or eliminating negative properties imparted to existing comparative materials that contain only external binder but no intrinsic binder. In other cases, no external binder is added at all, and the article is bound (at least in part) by the intrinsic binder. As described above, in some embodiments, a biodegradable material is processed to produce degradation products. In some embodiments, the degradation products include organic polymers (e.g., cellulose, lignin, hemicellulose). In some such embodiments, the intrinsic binder is formed, at least in part, from the degradation products. In further such embodiments, multiple degradation products of the biodegradable material are produced, at least some of which form the intrinsic binder. The biodegradable material need not be completely degraded to form degradation products. In many embodiments, the biodegradable material is only partially degraded, resulting in the formation of degradation products and degraded material, which includes degraded portions of the biodegradable material. The intrinsic binder can then bind the remaining portions of the biodegradable material with the degraded material, forming a cohesive aggregate that binds portions of the biodegradable material together and / or to each other.

[0026] However, it should be understood that in some embodiments, a biodegradable material may be processed such that it is largely or entirely converted to one or more degradation products, such that an article (e.g., a mat) may comprise portions of the biodegradable material bound by an intrinsic binder that includes the one or more degradation products, with little or no degraded material present within the article. That is, in some embodiments, an article may comprise portions of the biodegradable material bound by an intrinsic binder, with little or no degraded material present within the article.

[0027] In some embodiments, an article comprises a biodegradable material and a relatively large amount of degradable material. In some embodiments, the amount of degradable material in the article is 20% by weight or more, 30% by weight or more, 40% by weight or more, 45% by weight or more, 50% by weight or more, 55% by weight or more, 60% by weight or more, 65% by weight or more, 70% by weight or more, 75% by weight or more, 80% by weight or more, 85% by weight or more, or 90% by weight or more, based on the total weight of the article. In some embodiments, the amount of degradable material in the article is 90% by weight or less, 85% by weight or less, 80% by weight or less, 75% by weight or less, 70% by weight or less, 65% by weight or less, 60% by weight or less, 55% by weight or less, 50% by weight or less, 45% by weight or less, 40% by weight or less, 30% by weight or less, or 20% by weight or less, based on the total weight of the article. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 40% by weight or more and 90% by weight or less). Other ranges are also possible. The remaining weight percentage of the article (ie, totaling 100% by weight) can be biodegradable materials, intrinsic binders, and / or other additives (eg, external binders, antimicrobial agents).

[0028] In some embodiments, the article comprises a biodegradable material and a relatively small amount of degradable material. In some embodiments, the amount of degradable material in the article is 20% by weight or less, 15% by weight or less, 12% by weight or less, 10% by weight or less, 9% by weight or less, 7% by weight or less, 5% by weight or less, 3% by weight or less, 2% by weight or less, 1% by weight or less, or 0.1% by weight or less, based on the total weight of the article. In some embodiments, the amount of degradable material in the article is 0.1% by weight or more, 1% by weight or more, 2% by weight or more, 3% by weight or more, 5% by weight or more, 7% by weight or more, 9% by weight or more, 10% by weight or more, 12% by weight or more, 15% by weight or more, or 20% by weight or more, based on the total weight of the article. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 0.1% by weight or more and 20% by weight or less). Other ranges are also possible. In some embodiments, the article does not comprise any degradable material. The remaining weight percentage of the article (ie, totaling 100% by weight) can be biodegradable materials, intrinsic binders, and / or other additives (eg, external binders, antimicrobial agents).

[0029] As described above, the articles described herein include biodegradable materials, which can be degraded (or at least partially degraded) to form degraded materials and degradation products of the biodegradable materials. The degradation products, portions thereof, and / or further degradation products of the degradation products can form intrinsic binders, which are bound to portions (e.g., first and second portions) of the biodegradable materials. That is, in some embodiments, the intrinsic binders include degradation products of the biodegradable materials, which are bound to the first and second portions of the biodegradable materials. In some embodiments, one or more degradation compounds include one or more functional groups (e.g., —OH, —NH, —NH—) that promote crosslinking between adjacent species (e.g., portions of the biodegradable materials, portions of the degraded materials, portions of the biodegradable materials, and portions of the degraded materials). Without intending to be limited to a particular theory, the biodegradable materials can be broken down (e.g., to generate degradation products of the biodegradable materials) and may include structures (e.g., voids, cracks) that include hydroxyl groups. These hydroxyl groups can form hydrogen bonds (e.g., hydrogen bond donors and / or hydrogen bond acceptors) with other hydroxyl groups of the biodegradable material (e.g., the first portion of the biodegradable material) and / or other degradation products.

[0030] In some embodiments, the biodegradable material is processed (e.g., crushed, shredded) to form particles of biodegradable material. Details regarding processing are described in more detail below, but briefly, various embodiments can include the biodegradable material as particles of biodegradable material. In such embodiments, an intrinsic binder (e.g., comprising one or more degradation products of the biodegradable material) can crosslink with at least a portion of the particles of biodegradable material and / or degraded material (e.g., particles of degraded material). In such embodiments, the intrinsic binder forms a network of bonds (e.g., crosslinks) throughout the article. In such embodiments, the article can then be formed into a sheet or mat.

[0031] In some embodiments, at least a portion of the biodegradable material is crosslinked, resulting in two or more components (e.g., two or more portions of the biodegradable material to each other, two or more portions of the degraded material to each other, or two or more portions of the biodegradable material and / or the degraded material to each other) being bonded together through at least one location of the intrinsic binder. For example, an article may have a certain proportion (e.g., weight ratio) of crosslinked material, where one portion of the biodegradable material (e.g., a first portion) may be bonded to at least one location of the intrinsic binder and to another portion of the biodegradable material (e.g., a second portion). In some embodiments, the crosslinks are covalent bonds. In some embodiments, the crosslinks are non-covalent bonds (e.g., ionic bonds, hydrogen bonds, dipole-dipole interactions, London dispersion forces). In some embodiments, the crosslinks include a combination of covalent and / or non-covalent bonds.

[0032] In some embodiments, the article is 20% or more crosslinked by weight. That is, 20% or more by weight of the biodegradable material (e.g., biodegradable material portions, biodegradable material particles) comprising the article is crosslinked (e.g., via an intrinsic binder). In some embodiments, 20% or more, 30% or more, 40% or more, 50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more, 80% or more, 90% or more, 95% or more, 99% or more, 99.9% or more, or 99.99% or more by weight of the article is crosslinked by an intrinsic binder. In some embodiments, 99.99% or less, 99.9% or less, 99% or less, 95% or less, 90% or less, 80% or less, 70% or less, 60% or less, 50% or less, 40% or less, 30% or less, or 20% or less by weight of the article is crosslinked. Combinations of the above-referenced ranges are possible (eg, greater than or equal to 20% and less than or equal to 99.99% by weight). Other ranges are also possible.

[0033] In some embodiments, biodegradable materials are used to form articles. For example, FIG. 1A illustrates a method 100 for forming an article that includes or is a feedstock material. In FIG. 1A, a reactor 110 is filled with a biodegradable material having a first dimension 120A. As described in more detail below, in some embodiments, the biodegradable material can be reduced. For example, in FIG. 1A, the biodegradable material having the first dimension 120 is processed 140 into a biodegradable material having a smaller second dimension 120B. During and / or after processing 140, an intrinsic binder 130 can be formed from the degradation products of the biodegradable material, and the intrinsic binder can crosslink (e.g., via bonding step 142) or otherwise bond portions of the biodegradable material in the second dimension 120B together. In some embodiments, the intrinsic binder also bonds portions of the degraded material (e.g., partially degraded biodegradable material). For example, in FIG. 1A, intrinsic binder 130 bonds degraded material 122 to portions of other degraded materials 122 and to biodegradable material in second dimension 120B.

[0034] In some embodiments, an external binder is added to the biodegradable material in addition to the intrinsic binder. For example, Figure 1B shows step 144 where an external binder 135 is added, with both the intrinsic binder 130 and the external binder 135 crosslinking or otherwise bonding the biodegradable material in the second dimension 120B. In such embodiments, both the intrinsic binder and the external binder hold the biodegradable material together (e.g., bonding particles of the biodegradable material together), and are shown in Figure 1B as crosslinking material 139.

[0035] 1A-1B can be used to form an article. For example, in FIG. 1C, cross-linked material 139 is compressed (compression 149) to form article 160, which includes cross-linked portions of biodegradable and degradable materials.

[0036] The articles described herein may have one or more advantageous properties described herein. In certain embodiments, the article comprises a biodegradable material comprising 0.05% by weight or more and / or 7% by weight or less of lignin, and an intrinsic binder comprising a degradation product of the biodegradable material, at least a portion of which is bound to at least a portion of the biodegradable material (e.g., a first portion, a second portion) by the intrinsic binder. The article has a thickness of 1 mm or more and / or 25 mm or less, a porosity of the article of 25% to 80%, and a density of 0.3 g / cm. 3 More than 1.8g / cm 3 In some cases, the amount of glucan in the article is not between 47% and 54% by weight.

[0037] As described elsewhere herein, the article may include a biodegradable material, an intrinsic binder, and / or an external binder. The biodegradable material may include a variety of suitable materials. Non-limiting examples of biodegradable materials include orange peel, coffee chaff, grass scraps, coconut waste (e.g., coconut husk and / or shell), food waste, plants, and / or biodegradable polymers (e.g., polyhydroxyalkanoates). In some embodiments, the biodegradable material includes hair (e.g., human hair). In some embodiments, the biodegradable material includes lignin, cellulose, and / or hemicellulose. In some embodiments, the biodegradable material is selected to provide beneficial properties, such as bioresistance. For example, in some embodiments, the biodegradable material includes an antimicrobial agent (e.g., limonene), and the resulting article may also have antimicrobial properties. Of course, the present disclosure is not limited in this respect, and other properties are possible, and additional properties are described elsewhere herein.

[0038] In some embodiments, the biodegradable material includes a protein (e.g., keratin). In some embodiments, the weight percent of protein in the biodegradable material is 15% or more, 20% or more, 30% or more, 40% or more, 50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more, 80% or more, 90% or more, or 95% or more by weight, based on the total weight of the biodegradable material. In some embodiments, the weight percent of protein in the biodegradable material is 95% or less, 90% or less, 80% or less, 70% or less, 60% or less, 50% or less, 40% or less, 30% or less, 20% or less, or 15% or less by weight, based on the total weight of the biodegradable material. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 15% or more and 95% or less by weight). Other ranges are also possible.

[0039] In some cases, the biodegradable material (e.g., the biodegradable material of an article) comprises lignin. In some embodiments, the weight percent of lignin in the biodegradable material is 0.05% or more, 0.06% or more, 0.1% or more, 0.25% or more, 0.5% or more, 1% or more, 2% or more, 5% or more, 10% or more, 15% or more, 20% or more, 25% or more, 30% or more, 34% or more, 35% or more, 40% or more, 45% or more, or 50% or more by weight, based on the total weight of the biodegradable material. In some embodiments, the weight percent of lignin in the biodegradable material is 50% or less, 45% or less, 40% or less, 35% or less, 34% or less, 30% or less, 25% or less, 20% or less, 15% or less, 10% or less, 5% or less, 2% or less, 1% or less, 0.5% or less, 0.25% or less, 0.1% or less, 0.06% or less, or 0.05% or less by weight, based on the total weight of the biodegradable material. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 0.06% to 34% by weight, 0.05% to 7% by weight). Other ranges are also possible.

[0040] The amount of cellulose in the biodegradable material can also vary. In some cases, the amount of cellulose in the biodegradable material is 6% or more, 7% or more, 8% or more, 10% or more, 12% or more, 14% or more, 16% or more, or 17% or more by weight, based on the total weight of the biodegradable material. In some embodiments, the amount of cellulose in the biodegradable material is 17% or less, 16% or less, 15% or less, 13% or less, 11% or less, 9% or less, 7% or less, or 6% or less by weight, based on the total weight of the biodegradable material. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 6% or more and 17% or less by weight). Other ranges are also possible.

[0041] The amount of hemicellulose in the biodegradable material can also vary. In some cases, the amount of hemicellulose in the biodegradable material is 6% or more, 7% or more, 8% or more, 10% or more, 12% or more, 14% or more, 16% or more, or 17% or more by weight, based on the total weight of the biodegradable material. In some embodiments, the amount of hemicellulose in the biodegradable material is 17% or less, 16% or less, 15% or less, 13% or less, 11% or less, 9% or less, 7% or less, or 6% or less by weight, based on the total weight of the biodegradable material. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 6% or more and 17% or less by weight). Other ranges are also possible.

[0042] In some cases, the biodegradable material is processed (e.g., mechanically, chemically). Processing can include one or more steps (e.g., multiple steps), as described elsewhere herein. In some embodiments, the biodegradable material is processed such that the biodegradable material, having a first size or dimension (e.g., a first average diameter), is reduced in size or dimension to a second size or dimension of the biodegradable material.

[0043] In some cases, after processing (e.g., crushing, milling), the biodegradable material (e.g., first size, second size) may have an average diameter of 10 mm or less, 9 mm or less, 8 mm or less, 7 mm or less, 6 mm or less, 5 mm or less, 4 mm or less, 3 mm or less, 2 mm or less, or 1 mm or less. In some cases, the biodegradable material may have an average diameter of 1 mm or more, 2 mm or more, 3 mm or more, 4 mm or more, 5 mm or more, 6 mm or more, 7 mm or more, 8 mm or more, 9 mm or more, or 10 mm or more. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 2 mm or more to 10 mm or less). Other ranges are also possible.

[0044] As detailed above, the articles described herein can include a biodegradable material and an intrinsic binder. In some cases, the intrinsic binder comprises a degradation product of the biodegradable material. In such cases, at least a portion of the degradation products form the intrinsic binder, as described elsewhere herein. In some embodiments, the degradation products form the entire intrinsic binder. In some embodiments, the degradation products are configured to undergo one or more further reactions to form additional degradation products of the biodegradable material, and these additional degradation products can also form part or all of the intrinsic binder. Mixtures of degradation products of the biodegradable material and / or additional degradation products are also possible. Thus, in such cases, at least a portion of the intrinsic binder comprises the intrinsic binder.

[0045] In some embodiments, the biodegradable material and / or the intrinsic binder comprises species (e.g., lignin, hemicellulose, etc.) that are treated to expose functional groups (e.g., —OH, —NH—) that, once exposed, can bond with portions of the biodegradable material, degraded materials, and / or other portions of the intrinsic binder, thereby forming a network of bonds between the biodegradable material, the intrinsic binder, and / or the external binder.

[0046] In some cases, the intrinsic binder crosslinks the biodegradable material and / or the intrinsic binder. According to some embodiments, at least a portion of the intrinsic binder is bound to at least a portion of the biodegradable material (e.g., the first portion, the second portion) by the intrinsic binder. In some embodiments, an article (e.g., a mat, a sheet, a layer, a composite) is formed by crosslinking a portion of the biodegradable material and / or another portion of the intrinsic binder with the intrinsic binder.

[0047] In some embodiments, an amount of intrinsic binder (e.g., including degradation products of biodegradable materials) is present in the article, in some embodiments, the intrinsic binder is present in an amount of at least 0.01 wt %, at least 0.02 wt %, at least 0.03 wt %, at least 0.05 wt %, at least 0.1 wt %, at least 0.15 wt %, at least 0.2 wt %, at least 0.3 wt %, at least 0.5 wt %, at least 1 wt %, at least 1.5 wt %, at least 2 wt %, at least 2.5 wt %, at least 3 wt %, at least 5 wt %, at least 10 wt %, at least 15 wt %, at least 20 wt %, at least 25 wt %, or at least 30 wt %, based on the total weight of the article. In some cases, the inherent binder is present at 30% by weight or less, 25% by weight or less, 20% by weight or less, 15% by weight or less, 10% by weight or less, 5% by weight or less, 3% by weight or less, 2.5% by weight or less, 2% by weight or less, 1.5% by weight or less, 1% by weight or less, 0.5% by weight or less, 0.3% by weight or less, 0.2% by weight or less, 0.15% by weight or less, 0.1% by weight or less, 0.05% by weight or less, 0.03% by weight or less, 0.02% by weight or less, or less than 0.01% by weight, based on the total weight of the article. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 0.01% to 20% by weight, 0.01% to 30% by weight). Other ranges are also possible.

[0048] According to some embodiments, articles comprising biodegradable materials, degradable materials, and / or intrinsic binders may further comprise an external binder. In some cases, the external binder comprises tapioca starch, water, and / or a base. In some embodiments, the external binder comprises starch, thermoplastic starch, pectin, cellulose, chitin, chitosan, lignin, tannin, rosin, and / or polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). In some cases, when the external binder comprises starch, the starch may be derived from a variety of sources. For example, suitable sources of starch include cassava, potato, corn, barley, sorghum, and / or wheat. Combinations of these starches are also possible (e.g., tapioca starch and potato starch). Additionally, combinations of various types of external binders other than starch are contemplated (e.g., starch and cellulose). Other combinations of external binders are also possible, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0049] In some cases, the external binder may act similarly to the internal binder. That is, it may crosslink the biodegradable material (e.g., a portion of the biodegradable material), the degraded material, and / or the internal binder (e.g., a portion of the internal binder). In other words, the external binder may bind the portion of the biodegradable material, the portion of the degraded material, and / or the portion of the internal binder via covalent and / or non-covalent bonds. However, the crosslinks performed by the external binder may be, but need not be, identical to the crosslinks performed by the internal binder (e.g., chemically identical, having the same composition as the external binder). As a non-limiting example, the external binder may crosslink the biodegradable material, the degraded material, and / or the internal binder using covalent bonds, while the internal binder may crosslink the biodegradable material, the degraded material, and / or the internal binder using non-covalent bonds (e.g., ionic bonds, London dispersion forces). In some cases, the external binder binds at least a portion of the biodegradable material, at least a portion of the degraded material, and / or the internal binder. Advantageously, in some embodiments, the presence of an external binder is not required because the intrinsic binder may crosslink the biodegradable material, the degraded material, and / or other portions of the intrinsic binder to form an article without the need for an external binder. However, relatively small amounts of an external binder may be added to improve the properties of the article (e.g., increased stiffness, increased hydrophobicity).

[0050] In some embodiments, the external binder is present in an amount of 0.01 wt% or more, 0.02 wt% or more, 0.03 wt% or more, 0.05 wt% or more, 0.1 wt% or more, 0.15 wt% or more, 0.2 wt% or more, 0.3 wt% or more, 0.5 wt% or more, 1 wt% or more, 1.5 wt% or more, 2 wt% or more, 2.5 wt% or more, 3 wt% or more, 5 wt% or more, 10 wt% or more, 15 wt% or more, 20 wt% or more, 25 wt% or more, 30 wt% or more, 35 wt% or more, 40 wt% or more, or 45 wt% or more of the total weight of the article. In some cases, the external binder is present at 45% by weight or less, 40% by weight or less, 35% by weight or less, 30% by weight or less, 25% by weight or less, 20% by weight or less, 15% by weight or less, 10% by weight or less, 5% by weight or less, 3% by weight or less, 2.5% by weight or less, 2% by weight or less, 1.5% by weight or less, 1% by weight or less, 0.5% by weight or less, 0.3% by weight or less, 0.2% by weight or less, 0.15% by weight or less, 0.1% by weight or less, 0.05% by weight or less, 0.03% by weight or less, 0.02% by weight or less, or less than 0.01% by weight, based on the total weight of the article. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 0.01% by weight to 20% by weight, 0.01% by weight to 30% by weight). Other ranges are also possible.

[0051] In some cases, the amount of external binder required to form an article will depend on the amount of intrinsic binder (e.g., including degradation products of the biodegradable material) formed from the degradation of the biodegradable material, the intrinsic binder, or other materials in the article (e.g., degraded materials, antimicrobial additives), and one of skill in the art will be able to select an appropriate amount of external binder (e.g., the relative amount to the intrinsic binder) given this disclosure. That is, according to some embodiments, less external binder can be included when the intrinsic binder is relatively high (compared to when the intrinsic binder is low).

[0052] In some embodiments, the article has a different glucan content than some of the existing materials. For example, in some embodiments, the amount of glucan in the article is not between 47% and 54% by weight, based on the total weight of the article. However, in other embodiments, the amount of glucan is between 47% and 54% by weight, based on the total weight of the article.

[0053] In some embodiments, the article has a relatively low amount of glucan (e.g., less than 47% by weight). In some embodiments, the amount of glucan in the article is 0.1% or more, 1% or more, 5% or more, 10% or more, 20% or more, 30% or more, 40% or more, or 46% or more by weight, based on the total weight of the article. In some embodiments, the amount of glucan in the article is less than 47% by weight, 46% or less, 40% or less, 30% or less, 20% or less, 10% or less, 5% or less, 1% or less, or 0.1% or less by weight, based on the total weight of the article. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 1% or more and 46% or less by weight). Other ranges are also possible.

[0054] In other embodiments, the article has a relatively high amount of glucan (e.g., 55% or more by weight). In some embodiments, the amount of glucan in the article is greater than 54% by weight, 55% or more, 60% or more, 65% or more, or 70% or more by weight, based on the total weight of the article. In some embodiments, the amount of glucan in the article is less than 100% by weight, 90% or less, 80% or less, 70% or less, or 60% or less by weight, based on the total weight of the article. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 55% or more and 90% or less by weight). Other ranges are also possible.

[0055] As described above, in some embodiments, the article comprises a biodegradable material, an intrinsic binder, a degradable material, and / or an external binder. In some cases, the article comprises 40% or more, 50% or more, 55% or more, 65% or more, 75% or more, 85% or more, 95% or more, 99% or more, 99.9% or more, or more than 99.99% by weight of the biodegradable material, based on the total weight of the article. In some embodiments, the article comprises 100%, 99.99% or less, 99.9% or less, 99% or less, 95% or less, 85% or less, 75% or less, 65% or less, 60% or less, or 55% or less by weight of the biodegradable material, based on the total weight of the article. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 55% or more and 99% or less by weight). Other ranges are also possible.

[0056] In some cases, the article includes lignin (e.g., derived or obtained from a biodegradable material). In some embodiments, the weight percent of lignin in the article is 0.05 wt% or more, 0.06 wt% or more, 0.1 wt% or more, 0.25 wt% or more, 0.5 wt% or more, 1 wt% or more, 2 wt% or more, 5 wt% or more, 10 wt% or more, 15 wt% or more, 20 wt% or more, 25 wt% or more, 30 wt% or more, or 34 wt% or more, based on the total weight of the article. In some embodiments, the weight percent of lignin in the article is 34 wt% or less, 30 wt% or less, 25 wt% or less, 20 wt% or less, 15 wt% or less, 10 wt% or less, 5 wt% or less, 2 wt% or less, 1 wt% or less, 0.5 wt% or less, 0.25 wt% or less, 0.1 wt% or less, 0.06 wt% or less, or 0.05 wt% or less, based on the total weight of the article. Combinations of the above-referenced ranges are possible (eg, 0.06% to 34% by weight, 0.05% to 7% by weight). Other ranges are also possible.

[0057] The amount of cellulose in the article (e.g., derived from or obtained from a biodegradable material) can also vary. In some cases, the amount of cellulose in the article is 6% or more, 7% or more, 8% or more, 10% or more, 12% or more, 14% or more, 16% or more, or 17% or more by weight, based on the total weight of the article. In some cases, the amount of cellulose in the article is 20% or more, 30% or more, 40% or more, or 45% or more by weight, based on the total weight of the article. In some embodiments, the amount of cellulose in the article is 17% or less, 16% or less, 15% or less, 13% or less, 11% or less, 9% or less, 7% or less, or 6% or less by weight, based on the total weight of the article. In some embodiments, the amount of cellulose in the article is 45% or less, 40% or less, 30% or less, or 20% or less by weight, based on the total weight of the article. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 6% or more and 17% or less by weight). Other ranges are possible.

[0058] The amount of hemicellulose in the article (e.g., derived from or obtained from a biodegradable material) can also vary. In some cases, the amount of hemicellulose in the article is 6% or more, 7% or more, 8% or more, 10% or more, 12% or more, 14% or more, 16% or more, or 17% or more by weight, based on the total weight of the article. In some cases, the amount of hemicellulose in the article is 19% or more, 20% or more, or 30% or more by weight, based on the total weight of the article. In some embodiments, the amount of hemicellulose in the article is 17% or less, 16% or less, 15% or less, 13% or less, 11% or less, 9% or less, 7% or less, or 6% or less by weight, based on the total weight of the article. In some embodiments, the amount of hemicellulose in the article is 30% or less, 20% or less, or 19% or less by weight. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 6% or more and 17% or less by weight). Other ranges are also possible.

[0059] As noted above, the articles described herein include an intrinsic binder, which can be present in various suitable ranges. According to some embodiments, the article has an intrinsic binder in an amount of 45% by weight or less, 42% by weight or less, 40% by weight or less, 35% by weight or less, 25% by weight or less, 15% by weight or less, 5% by weight or less, 2% by weight or less, 1.5% by weight or less, or 1% by weight or less, based on the total weight of the article. In some cases, the article includes an intrinsic binder in an amount of 1% by weight or more, 1.5% by weight or more, 2% by weight or more, 5% by weight or more, 15% by weight or more, 25% by weight or more, 35% by weight or more, 40% by weight or more, 42% by weight or more, or 45% by weight or more, based on the total weight of the article. Combinations of the above-mentioned ranges are also possible (e.g., 5% by weight or more and 25% by weight or less). Other ranges are also possible.

[0060] In some embodiments, the article has a specific thickness. In some embodiments, the article can have a thickness of 1 mm or more, 1.25 mm or more, 1.5 mm or more, 2 mm or more, 5 mm or more, 10 mm or more, 15 mm or more, or 20 mm or more. According to some embodiments, the article can have a thickness of 25 mm or less, 20 mm or less, 15 mm or less, 10 mm or less, 5 mm or less, 2 mm or less, 1.5 mm or less, or 1.25 mm or less. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 1 mm or more and 25 mm or less). Other ranges are also possible.

[0061] Furthermore, the article can have many suitable ranges for porosity. In some embodiments, the article can have a porosity of 25% or more, 28% or more, 30% or more, 35% or more, 45% or more, 55% or more, 65% or more, 75% or more, 78% or more, or 80% or more. According to some embodiments, the article can have a porosity of 80% or less, 78% or less, 75% or less, 70% or less, 60% or less, 50% or less, 40% or less, 30% or less, or 28% or less. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 25% or more and 80% or less). Other ranges are also possible. Porosity can be measured using X-ray tomography.

[0062] The density of the article can have various suitable ranges. In some cases, the density of the article is 0.3 g / cm 3 More than 0.35g / cm 3 More than 0.4g / cm 3 More than 0.5g / cm 3 More than 0.75g / cm 3 More than 1g / cm 3 More than 1.25g / cm 3 More than 1.50g / cm 3 More than 1.75g / cm 3 or more, or 1.8 g / cm 3 According to some embodiments, the article has a density of 1.8 g / cm 3 Below 1.75g / cm 3 Below 1.5g / cm 3 Below 1.25g / cm 3 Below, 1g / cm 3 Below 0.75g / cm 3 Below, 0.5g / cm 3 Below, 0.4g / cm 3 Below, 0.35g / cm 3 or less, or 0.3g / cm 3 Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 0.3 g / cm 3 More than 1.8g / cm 3 (See below). Other ranges are possible.

[0063] The density of each component of the article (e.g., biodegradable material, degradable material, intrinsic binder, and / or extrinsic binder) can have various suitable ranges. In some cases, the density of a particular component of the article is less than 0.3 g / cm. 3 More than 0.35g / cm 3 More than 0.4g / cm 3 More than 0.5g / cm 3 More than 0.75g / cm 3 More than 1g / cm 3 More than 1.25g / cm 3 More than 1.50g / cm 3 More than 1.75g / cm 3 or more, or 1.8 g / cm 3According to some embodiments, the density of a particular component of the article is 1.8 g / cm 3 Below 1.75g / cm 3 Below 1.5g / cm 3 Below 1.25g / cm 3 Below, 1g / cm 3 Below 0.75g / cm 3 Below, 0.5g / cm 3 Below, 0.4g / cm 3 Below, 0.35g / cm 3 or less, or 0.3g / cm 3 Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 0.3 g / cm 3 More than 1.8g / cm 3 Other ranges are possible. The density of the article may also have various suitable ranges. In some cases, the density of the article is 0.3 g / cm 3 More than 0.35g / cm 3 More than 0.4g / cm 3 More than 0.5g / cm 3 More than 0.75g / cm 3 More than 1g / cm 3 More than 1.25g / cm 3 More than 1.50g / cm 3 More than 1.75g / cm 3 or more, or 1.8 g / cm 3 According to some embodiments, the article has a density of 1.8 g / cm 3 Below 1.75g / cm 3 Below 1.5g / cm 3 Below 1.25g / cm 3 Below, 1g / cm 3 Below 0.75g / cm 3 Below, 0.5g / cm 3 Below, 0.4g / cm 3 Below, 0.35g / cm 3 or less, or 0.3g / cm 3 Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 0.3 g / cm 3 More than 1.8g / cm 3 (See below). Other ranges are possible.

[0064] The flexural strength of the article can also vary. Flexural strength can be measured by standard test BS EN 12089:2013. In some embodiments, the flexural strength of the article is 1 MPa or more, 5 MPa or more, 5.5 MPa or more, 6 MPa or more, 7 MPa or more, 8 MPa or more, 9 MPa or more, 10 MPa or more, 11 MPa or more, 12 MPa or more, 13 MPa or more, 14 MPa or more, 14.5 MPa or more, or 15 MPa or more. In some embodiments, the flexural strength of the article is 20 MPa or more, 30 MPa or more, or 70 MPa or more. In some cases, the flexural strength of the article may be 15 MPa or less, 14.5 MPa or less, 14 MPa or less, 13 MPa or less, 12 MPa or less, 11 MPa or less, 10 MPa or less, 9 MPa or less, 8 MPa or less, 7 MPa or less, 6 MPa or less, 5.5 MPa or less, 5 MPa or less, or 1 MPa or less. In some embodiments, the flexural strength of the article may be 70 MPa or less, 30 MPa or less, or 15 MPa or less. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (5 MPa or more and 15 MPa or less). Other ranges are also possible.

[0065] The tensile strength of the article can also have a suitable range. The tensile strength of the article can be measured according to BS EN 1607:2013. In some embodiments, the tensile strength of the article is 0.5 MPa or more, 1 MPa or more, 3 MPa or more, 3.25 MPa or more, 3.5 MPa or more, 3.75 MPa or more, 4 MPa or more, 4.5 MPa or more, 5 MPa or more, 5.25 MPa or more, 5.5 MPa or more, 5.75 MPa or more, or 6 MPa or more. In some embodiments, the tensile strength of the article is 10 MPa or more, 25 MPa or more, 30 MPa or more, 50 MPa or more, or 65 MPa or more. In some cases, the tensile strength of the article is 6 MPa or less, 5.75 MPa or less, 5.5 MPa or less, 5.25 MPa or less, 5 MPa or less, 4.5 MPa or less, 4 MPa or less, 3.75 MPa or less, 3.5 MPa or less, 3.25 MPa or less, 3 MPa or less, 1 MPa or less, or 0.5 MPa or less. In some embodiments, the tensile strength of the article is 65 MPa or less, 50 MPa or less, 30 MPa or less, 25 MPa or less, or 10 MPa or less. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 0.5 MPa or more and 6 MPa or less). Other ranges are also possible.

[0066] The internal bond strength of the article may also be within a particular range. The internal bond strength of the article can be measured using the standard test of BS EN 1607:2013. In some embodiments, the internal bond strength of the article is 0.5 N / mm 2 Over 0.55N / mm 2 More than 0.6N / mm 2 Over 0.7N / mm 2 More than 0.8N / mm 2 More than 0.9N / mm 2 More than 1.0N / mm 2 More than 1.1N / mm 2 More than 1.2N / mm 2 More than 1.3N / mm 2 More than 1.4N / mm 2 More than 1.5N / mm 2 Over 1.55N / mm 2 or more, or 1.6N / mm 2In some embodiments, the article has an internal bond strength of 1.6 N / mm 2 Below, 1.55N / mm 2 Below, 1.5N / mm 2 Below, 1.4N / mm 2 Below, 1.3N / mm 2 Below, 1.2N / mm 2 Below, 1.1N / mm 2 Below, 1.0N / mm 2 Below, 0.9N / mm 2 Below, 0.8N / mm 2 Below, 0.7N / mm 2 Below, 0.6N / mm 2 Below, 0.55N / mm 2 or less than 0.5N / mm 2 Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 0.5 N / mm 2 More than 1.6N / mm 2 (See below). Other ranges are possible.

[0067] In some embodiments, the article may swell when exposed to water. In some cases, the swelling of the article can be measured by a standard test, such as standard test EN 317-1993. In some cases, the swelling is measured as a change in thickness of the article (e.g., comparing the thickness after swelling to the original thickness), and the change in thickness can be 0 mm. In some cases, the change in thickness is greater than 0 mm, 0.05 mm or more, 0.10 mm or more, 0.15 mm or more, 0.2 mm or more, 0.25 mm or more, 0.3 mm or more, 0.35 mm or more, 0.5 mm or more, 1 mm or more, 1.5 mm or more, 2 mm or more, 2.5 mm or more, or 3 mm or more. In some cases, the change in thickness when the article is exposed to water is 3 mm or less, 2.5 mm or less, 2 mm or less, 1.5 mm or less, 1 mm or less, 0.5 mm or less, 0.35 mm or less, 0.3 mm or less, 0.25 mm or less, 0.2 mm or less, 0.15 mm or less, or 0.1 mm or less. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 0.1 mm or more to 3 mm or less). Other ranges are also possible.

[0068] In some embodiments, the swelling of the article is determined by percentage change (e.g., the percentage change in thickness from the initial thickness, i.e., the "ratio of swollen thickness to original thickness" divided by the original thickness multiplied by 100). In some embodiments, the swelling of the article when exposed to water is 30% or more, 35% or more, 40% or more, 45% or more, 50% or more, 55% or more, or more than 60%. In some cases, the swelling of the article when exposed to water is 60% or less, 55% or less, 50% or less, 45% or less, 40% or less, 35% or less, or 30% or less. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 30% or more and 60% or less). Other ranges are also possible.

[0069] In some embodiments, the article exhibits a particular hardness. The article may have a Shore D hardness of 15 or more, 20 or more, 25 or more, 30 or more, 35 or more, 40 or more, 45 or more, 50 or more, 55 or more, 60 or more, 65 or more, 70 or more, or 75 or more. In some cases, the surface finish has a Shore D hardness of 80 or less, 75 or less, 70 or less, 65 or less, 60 or less, 55 or less, 50 or less, 45 or less, 40 or less, 35 or less, 30 or less, 25 or less, or 20 or less. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 15 or more and 80 or less). Other ranges are also possible. The Shore D hardness of the article can be measured according to ASTM D2240 standard test.

[0070] In some embodiments, the biodegradable material (and / or the degradation products of the biodegradable material) imparts advantageous properties to the article (e.g., resistance to microbial growth, rigidity, water resistance). In such embodiments, compounds from the biodegradable material (e.g., limonene) may remain in the article even after one or more processing steps, allowing the compounds from the biodegradable material to impart properties to the article. In contrast, many existing articles undergo processing steps that significantly alter or destroy the compounds used as the starting biodegradable material. However, it has been found advantageous in the context of the present disclosure that the beneficial compounds from the biodegradable material can be preserved by selecting a processing technique (e.g., by selecting a temperature in a heat treatment that preserves one or more compounds from the biodegradable material). In some embodiments, the amount of compounds from the biodegradable material present in the article. In some embodiments, the article has at least 0.05 wt%, at least 0.1 wt%, at least 0.5 wt%, at least 1 wt%, at least 3 wt%, at least 5 wt%, at least 7 wt%, or at least 10 wt%, based on the total weight of the article. In some embodiments, the article has at most 10 wt%, at most 7 wt%, at most 5 wt%, at most 3 wt%, at most 1 wt%, at most 0.5 wt%, at most 0.1 wt%, or at most 0.05 wt%, based on the total weight of the article. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., at least 0.1 wt%, at most 10 wt%). Other ranges are also possible.

[0071] As noted above, the articles described herein can be resistant to microbial growth. The bioresistance (e.g., a measure of the susceptibility of fungal spores to grow on the material) of the article and / or its components (e.g., biodegradable materials, inherent binders) can have a variety of suitable values ​​and, according to some embodiments, can be measured by multiple methods. In some cases, the article has a bioresistance of 3 or less, 2 or less, 1 or less, or 0, as determined by ASTM C1338 standard testing.

[0072] The articles described herein may further include a surface finish. In some embodiments, the surface finish is a coating on the article that covers the biodegradable material and / or an intrinsic binder or at least a portion of the article. For example, FIG. 2 shows an illustrative example of an article 220 (e.g., including a biodegradable material, an intrinsic binder, and / or an external binder) in which a surface finish is applied to the article as coating 210. In this non-limiting example, the surface finish is shown applied to only one side of the article. However, the surface finish may cover a portion of the article or the entire article.

[0073] The surface finish can include various suitable materials to obtain various properties of the article (e.g., moisture content, fire resistance). For example, the surface finish can impart a variety of properties to the article. Non-limiting examples of properties imparted to the article by the surface finish include fire resistance, water resistance, and / or resistance to biological degradation. For example, in some embodiments, the surface finish is hydrophobic. In some embodiments, the surface finish of the article reduces swelling of the article compared to an article without the surface finish.

[0074] To impart such properties, the surface finish, according to some embodiments, can include various suitable compounds or materials. For example, as described above, in some cases, the surface finish includes a hydrophobic material. In such embodiments, the hydrophobic material includes pine resin. In some cases, the surface finish includes shellac, rapeseed wax, linseed oil, limonene oil, sugarcane and / or grass-containing fibers, flower petals, coffee beans, orange peel, glycerol, and / or naturally occurring dyes. In such cases, when the surface finish includes naturally occurring dyes, the naturally occurring dyes include, by way of non-limiting example, beetroot powder, butterfly pea powder, and / or charcoal. Other compounds suitable for surface finishes include borax decahydrate, boric acid, and / or diammonium phosphate. In some embodiments, the surface finish includes a naturally occurring compound. Other surface finishes are also possible. Combinations of the above-mentioned compounds and materials can also be used as surface finishes (e.g., limonene oil and coffee beans). Other such possibilities exist.

[0075] In some embodiments, the surface finish may impart hydrophobic properties to the article (e.g., a surface finish including rosin). Hydrophobicity can be measured by measuring the water contact angle of the article. In some embodiments, the water contact angle is greater than 90°, greater than or equal to 95°, greater than or equal to 100°, greater than or equal to 105°, greater than or equal to 110°, greater than or equal to 115°, greater than or equal to 120°, greater than or equal to 125°, greater than or equal to 130°, greater than or equal to 135°, greater than or equal to 140°, less than or equal to 135°, less than or equal to 130°, less than or equal to 125°, less than or equal to 120°, less than or equal to 115°, less than or equal to 110°, less than or equal to 105°, less than or equal to 100°, less than or equal to 95°, or greater than 90°. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., greater than or equal to 95° and less than or equal to 125°). Other ranges are also possible.

[0076] In some embodiments, the surface finish has a Shore D hardness of 40 or more, 45 or more, 50 or more, 55 or more, 60 or more, 65 or more, 70 or more, 75 or more, or 80 or more. In some cases, the surface finish has a Shore D hardness of 80 or less, 75 or less, 70 or less, 65 or less, 60 or less, 55 or less, 50 or less, 45 or less, or 40 or less. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 40 or more and 80 or less). Other ranges are also possible.

[0077] In some embodiments, the thickness of the surface finish may change when immersed in water. In some embodiments, the change in thickness of the surface finish when immersed in water is 3 mm or less, 2.5 mm or less, 2 mm or less, 1.5 mm or less, 1 mm or less, 0.75 mm or less, 0.5 mm or less, or 0.25 mm or less. In some cases, the change in thickness of the surface finish when immersed in water is greater than 0 mm, 0.25 mm or more, 0.5 mm or more, 0.75 mm or more, 1 mm or more, 1.5 mm or more, 2 mm or more, 2.5 mm or more, or more. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 2 mm or more to 3 mm or less). Other ranges are also possible. The change in thickness of the surface finish can be measured by standard test BS EN 317-1993.

[0078] As noted above, the methods described herein may be suitable for producing articles with a variety of suitable properties. In some cases, the biodegradable material involved is treated (e.g., pre-treated, pre-processed, treated before producing degradation products of the biodegradable material, treated after producing degradation products of the biodegradable material). Treatment of the biodegradable material may include various techniques (e.g., mechanical treatment, chemical treatment, hydrothermal treatment).

[0079] Processing the biodegradable material can include reducing the particle size of the biodegradable material. Reducing the particle size of the biodegradable material can include cutting, grinding, chipping, mixing, chopping, and / or other suitable techniques to adjust the particle size of the biodegradable material. In such embodiments, reducing the particle size of the biodegradable material includes reducing the average particle size of the particles, such that the average diameter of the biodegradable material (e.g., particles comprising the biodegradable material, the first portion of the biodegradable material, the second portion of the biodegradable material) is 15 mm or less and / or 0.005 mm or more. In some embodiments, the average diameter of the biodegradable material is 0.005 mm or less, 10 mm or less, 8 mm or less, 5 mm or less, 3 mm or less, or 1 mm or less. In some embodiments, the average diameter of the biodegradable material is 1 mm or more, 3 mm or more, 5 mm or more, 8 mm or more, 10 mm or more, or 15 mm or more. Suitable sizes for particles comprising biodegradable materials (eg, comprising degradation products of biodegradable materials) after particle size reduction are discussed elsewhere herein.

[0080] In some cases, treating the biodegradable material includes heating the biodegradable material to a first temperature. The first temperature can be 100°C or higher, 110°C or higher, 120°C or higher, 130°C or higher, 140°C or higher, 150°C or higher, 160°C or higher, 170°C or higher, 180°C or higher, 190°C or higher, 200°C or higher, 210°C or higher, or 220°C or higher. In some cases, the first temperature can be 220°C or lower, 210°C or lower, 200°C or lower, 190°C or lower, 180°C or lower, 170°C or lower, 160°C or lower, 150°C or lower, 140°C or lower, 130°C or lower, 120°C or lower, 110°C or lower, or 100°C or lower. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 100°C or higher and 220°C or lower). Other ranges are also possible. Heating the biodegradable material may include placing the biodegradable material in an oven, exposing it to a heat source (e.g., flame, sun, heat lamp), or other suitable method known to one of skill in the art.

[0081] In some embodiments, processing the biodegradable material can include cooling the biodegradable material from a first temperature to a second temperature. In such cases, the second temperature is 5° C. or less, 10° C. or less, 20° C. or less, 30° C. or less, 40° C. or less, 50° C. or less, 60° C. or less, 70° C. or less, 80° C. or less, 90° C. or less, or 100° C. or less than the first temperature. Cooling can occur at ambient temperature by removing a heat source from the vicinity of the biodegradable material or by other methods known to those skilled in the art.

[0082] Processing a biodegradable material can include adjusting the moisture content within the biodegradable material or article (e.g., a biodegradable material, a degraded material, an article containing an intrinsic binder and / or an external binder). In some cases, adjusting the moisture content can include removing water from the biodegradable material. Removing water from the biodegradable material can include evaporating the water, compressing the biodegradable material to expel water from the lattice and / or matrix of the biodegradable material, placing the biodegradable material in a low-humidity environment, or other methods known to those skilled in the art. In some embodiments, 1% or more, 10% or more, 20% or more, 30% or more, 40% or more, 50% or more, or 60% or more by weight of the moisture content of the biodegradable material is removed (compared to the hydrated state of the biodegradable material). In some cases, 60% or less, 50% or less, 40% or less, 30% or less, 20% or less, or 10% or less by weight of the moisture content of the biodegradable material is removed. Combinations of the above-referenced ranges are possible (eg, greater than or equal to 1 wt. % and less than or equal to 60 wt. %). Other ranges are also possible.

[0083] In some cases, adjusting the moisture content within the biodegradable material may include hydrating the biodegradable material from a first moisture content to a second moisture content. Hydrating the biodegradable material may include adding water directly to the biodegradable material, placing the biodegradable material in a high humidity environment, or other suitable methods known to those skilled in the art. In some cases, hydrating the biodegradable material includes increasing the moisture content within the biodegradable material by 80% by weight or less, 70% by weight or less, 60% by weight or less, 50% by weight or less, 40% by weight or less, 30% by weight or less, 20% by weight or less, 10% by weight or less, or 1% by weight or less. According to some embodiments, hydrating the biodegradable material includes increasing the moisture content within the biodegradable material by 1% by weight or more, 10% by weight or more, 20% by weight or more, 30% by weight or more, 40% by weight or more, 50% by weight or more, 60% by weight or more, 70% by weight or more, or 80% by weight or more. Combinations of the above-referenced ranges are possible (eg, greater than or equal to 1 wt. % and less than or equal to 80 wt. %). Other ranges are also possible.

[0084] In some embodiments, the biodegradable material and / or article can be treated with steam. Advantageously, steam treatment can allow for the formation of at least some degradation products of the biodegradable material (e.g., such that a degraded material formed from the biodegradable material retains at least some structure) without significantly damaging the biodegradable material. In some embodiments, providing steam can include exposing the biodegradable material to steam at a temperature of 100°C or higher, 110°C or higher, 120°C or higher, 130°C or higher, 140°C or higher, 150°C or higher, 160°C or higher, 170°C or higher, 180°C or higher, 190°C or higher, 200°C or higher, or 210°C or higher. In some cases, providing steam can include exposing the biodegradable material to steam at a temperature of 220° C. or less, 210° C. or less, 200° C. or less, 190° C. or less, 180° C. or less, 170° C. or less, 160° C. or less, 150° C. or less, 140° C. or less, 130° C. or less, 120° C. or less, or 110° C. or less. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 100° C. or more and 220° C. or less). Other ranges are also possible.

[0085] In some cases, when providing steam, the steam may be present at various pressures when the biodegradable material and / or article is exposed to the steam. In some cases, the steam is present at a pressure of 2 MPa or more, 3 MPa or more, 4 MPa or more, 5 MPa or more, 6 MPa or more, 7 MPa or more, 8 MPa or more, 9 MPa or more, 10 MPa or more, 11 MPa or more, or 12 MPa or more. In some embodiments, the steam is present at a pressure of 12 MPa or less, 11 MPa or less, 10 MPa or less, 9 MPa or less, 8 MPa or less, 7 MPa or less, 6 MPa or less, 5 MPa or less, 4 MPa or less, 3 MPa or less, 2 MPa or less, or 1 MPa or less. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 2 MPa or more and 12 MPa or less). Other ranges are also possible.

[0086] Other methods for adjusting the moisture content within a biodegradable material and / or article are possible and known to those skilled in the art. Non-limiting examples of other methods for adjusting the moisture content within a biodegradable material include evaporation, freeze-drying, and / or exposing the biodegradable material to a hygroscopic material. Of course, additional methods for adjusting the moisture content within a biodegradable material are possible, and the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. Combinations of these methods are also contemplated.

[0087] Additional steps for treating biodegradable materials (e.g., articles comprising biodegradable materials) are also possible. For example, the biodegradable material can be treated with an acid and / or a base. In acid treatment of the biodegradable material, the acid can include sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, acetic acid, citric acid, and / or sorbic acid. In some cases, in base treatment of the biodegradable material, the base can include sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, and / or ammonium hydroxide. Of course, other acids and / or bases are possible for use in acid and / or base treatment of the biodegradable material, and the present disclosure is not limited in this regard.

[0088] In some cases, the biodegradable material (e.g., an article including the biodegradable material) is immersed in acid for a period of 1 minute or more, 5 minutes or more, 1 hour or more, 2 hours or more, 5 hours or more, 10 hours or more, 15 hours or more, 20 hours or more, 25 hours or more, 30 hours or more, 35 hours or more, 40 hours or more, 45 hours or more, or 48 hours or more. Immersing the biodegradable material in acid can proceed for a period of 48 hours or less, 45 hours or less, 40 hours or less, 35 hours or less, 30 hours or less, 25 hours or less, 20 hours or less, 15 hours or less, 10 hours or less, 5 hours or less, 2 hours or less, 1 hour or less, 5 minutes or less, or 1 minute or less. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 1 hour or more to 48 hours or less). Other ranges are also possible. In some cases, the pH of the acid can be less than 7, 6 or less, 5 or less, 4 or less, 3 or less, 2 or less, 1 or less, or 0 or less. In some embodiments, the pH of the acid can be 0 or greater, 1 or greater, 2 or greater, 3 or greater, 4 or greater, 5 or greater, or 6 or greater. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., a pH of 0 or greater to 6 or less). Other ranges are also possible.

[0089] In some embodiments, the biodegradable material (e.g., an article comprising the biodegradable material) is immersed in the base for a period of 1 minute or more, 5 minutes or more, 1 hour or more, 2 hours or more, 5 hours or more, 10 hours or more, 15 hours or more, 20 hours or more, 25 hours or more, 30 hours or more, 35 hours or more, 40 hours or more, 45 hours or more, or 48 hours or more. Immersing the biodegradable material in the acid can proceed for a period of 48 hours or less, 45 hours or less, 40 hours or less, 35 hours or less, 30 hours or less, 25 hours or less, 20 hours or less, 15 hours or less, 10 hours or less, 5 hours or less, 2 hours or less, 1 hour or less, 5 minutes or less, or 1 minute or less. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 1 hour or more to 48 hours or less). Other ranges are also possible. In some cases, the pH of the base can be 14 or less, 13 or less, 12 or less, 11 or less, 10 or less, 9 or less, or 8 or less. In some embodiments, the pH of the base can be greater than 7, greater than or equal to 8, greater than or equal to 9, greater than or equal to 10, greater than or equal to 11, greater than or equal to 12, or greater than or equal to 13. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., a pH of greater than or equal to 8 and less than or equal to 14). Other ranges are also possible.

[0090] Processing the biodegradable material can include compressing the biodegradable material, where the compressing includes applying a pressure of 2 MPa or more, 3 MPa or more, 4 MPa or more, 5 MPa or more, 6 MPa or more, 7 MPa or more, 8 MPa or more, 9 MPa or more, 10 MPa or more, 11 MPa or more, or 12 MPa or more. In some cases, the compressing can include applying a pressure of 12 MPa or less, 11 MPa or less, 10 MPa or less, 9 MPa or less, 8 MPa or less, 7 MPa or less, 6 MPa or less, 5 MPa or less, 4 MPa or less, 3 MPa or less, or 2 MPa or less.

[0091] Processing a biodegradable material (e.g., an article comprising a biodegradable material) by compressing (e.g., applying pressure) can be carried out in a variety of suitable ways known to those skilled in the art. In some cases, applying pressure can include applying pressure uniformly. In other cases, applying pressure can include applying pressure non-uniformly. In some cases, heat can be applied simultaneously when applying pressure to the biodegradable material (e.g., heat-pressing the biodegradable material). The application of heat can occur only during a portion of the compression process or throughout the entire process. In some cases, applying heat to the biodegradable material can include varying the temperature as disclosed elsewhere herein (e.g., increasing the temperature of the biodegradable material from 100°C to 220°C). In some embodiments, compressing and / or heating the biodegradable material does not result in any change in the weight of the biodegradable material. In other cases, the change in weight of the biodegradable material (measured as a percentage change) is measured to be greater than 0%, 2% or more, 4% or more, 6% or more, 8% or more, 10% or more, 12% or more, 14% or more, 16% or more, or 18% or more. In some cases, the change in weight of the biodegradable material is 20% or less, 18% or less, 16% or less, 14% or less, 12% or less, 10% or less, 8% or less, 6% or less, 4% or less, or 2% or less. Combinations of the above ranges are also possible (e.g., 10% or more and 12% or less). Other ranges are also possible.

[0092] In some cases, processing of the biodegradable material includes pretreating the biodegradable material in some suitable manner. Such pretreatment steps may include mechanical (e.g., compression), chemical (e.g., acid / base treatment), biological (e.g., degradation), and / or hydrothermal pretreatment (e.g., exposure to steam), as described elsewhere herein.

[0093] In some embodiments, processing of the biodegradable material may form an intrinsic binder (e.g., an intrinsic binder comprising one or more degradation products of the biodegradable material). In such cases, only a portion of the biodegradable material may form the intrinsic binder. In some cases, processing the biodegradable material forms an intrinsic binder, and additional processing steps may be performed to further process the biodegradable material and the intrinsic binder.

[0094] The method may further include adding an additional binder (e.g., an external binder) to the biodegradable material. For example, the method may include adding an external binder to the biodegradable material and the intrinsic binder (e.g., including a degradation product of the biodegradable material). In some cases, the method further includes adding and / or mixing the external binder with the biodegradable material and / or the intrinsic binder. According to some embodiments, the external binder is added to only a portion of the biodegradable material and / or the intrinsic binder. However, according to other embodiments, the external binder is added to the entire biodegradable material and / or the intrinsic binder. In some embodiments, the external binder is added to the biodegradable material, the degraded material, and / or the intrinsic binder to form an article having a first set of properties. After adding the external binder and forming the article having the first set of properties, the article can be further processed through any process disclosed elsewhere herein to obtain an article having a second set of properties, different from the first set of properties.

[0095] In some embodiments, a biodegradable material comprising a first configuration (e.g., an article comprising a biodegradable material) can be molded into a second configuration. In some cases, the first configuration can be a randomly oriented material (e.g., a stochastic layering and / or matrix of biodegradable material comprising coffee grounds and / or orange peel, etc.). In some embodiments, the first configuration, which may or may not include a randomly oriented biodegradable material, can be molded into a second configuration. In some cases, the second configuration comprises a mat. In some cases, the mat can be a rectangular prism, cube, sphere, triangular prism, or other regular or irregular shape. Various molding vessels are known to those skilled in the art, and those skilled in the art can select an appropriate vessel for molding an article based on this disclosure.

[0096] The method may further include applying a surface finish and / or coating to the biodegradable material (e.g., an article comprising the biodegradable material). The surface finish and / or coating may include any suitable compound or material disclosed elsewhere herein. Depending on the surface finish and / or coating, applying a suitable compound and / or material may plasticize the biodegradable material or an article comprising the biodegradable material.

[0097] It should be noted that while the above processing steps are primarily described in the context of biodegradable materials (e.g., including a), the processing steps may be performed in the presence of biodegradable materials, intrinsic binders, intrinsic binders, extrinsic binders, and / or other suitable materials (e.g., plasticizers, antimicrobial agents). Furthermore, although listed in a particular order in this disclosure, the steps are not limited to being performed in the listed order. That is, the processing steps may be performed in any order, independently and / or in combination with each other. Furthermore, the listed processing steps may be performed multiple times independently of each other. As a non-limiting example, the biodegradable material may be compressed a first time, then heated, and then compressed a second time. Of course, other processing steps and examples of processing step sequences are contemplated, and the disclosure is not intended to be so limited.

[0098] The articles described herein are suitable for a variety of uses. For example, in certain embodiments, the article is a thermal insulation material. In other embodiments, the article can be used as a wall covering or dry lining. In some embodiments, the article can be a component of flooring, building sheeting, furniture, ceiling tiles, product design, interior design, automotive and / or aerospace interiors. Of course, other uses are possible, and the present disclosure is not intended to be so limited, as one of ordinary skill in the art, having reference to this disclosure, will be able to provide other uses for the articles described herein.

[0099] The following examples are intended to illustrate certain embodiments of the present invention, but do not exemplify the full scope of the invention. [Example]

[0100] Example 1 The following examples describe the manufacture of composite boards where the biodegradable material is biodegradable orange peel (OP).

[0101] Pretreatment Raw OP skin was dried with hot air to adjust the moisture content to about 10%. The dried OP was pulverized in a hammer mill to reduce the particle size to 1–3 mm. · Analysis of the pretreated OP composition showed 7–11 w / w% cellulose and 4–8% lignin.

[0102] Composite Molding Powdered OP was analyzed for: moisture content and appropriate adjustment; and Particle size The OP was then weighed and dispensed into a heated compression mold (sample thickness / depth = 12 mm). The powder was compressed at 145°C under a pressure of 8 MPa. After the heating period, the composite samples were allowed to cool before being removed from the mold. ·The composite samples were then subjected to a final curing step in a dehydrator.

[0103] Material Testing The final samples were then characterized by a series of tests to determine values ​​within specific ranges. For OP, the samples were checked for at least the following properties: ·Porosity=30% ·Density=1.5g / cm 3 Bending strength = 15 MPa Tensile strength = 10 MPa Water adsorption: Weight gain = -12.5% ​​(BS EN 317, negative mass indicates no water loss) Hardness (Shore D scale) = 80D Bioresistance = 3 (ASTM C1338)

[0104] Post-processing To improve water and biological resistance, the surface of the final composite was coated with a linseed oil / wax mixture and allowed to dry. Optionally, limonene oil may be added topically in the form of an oil or as an impregnating wax to improve the bioresistance of the final article.

[0105] While several embodiments of the present disclosure have been described and illustrated herein, those skilled in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and / or structures for performing the functions and / or obtaining the results described herein and / or achieving one or more of the advantages described herein, and various variations and / or modifications thereof are deemed to be within the scope of the present disclosure. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are exemplary, and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and / or configurations will depend on the specific application or uses to which the disclosed technology is put. Those skilled in the art will recognize or be able to ascertain, using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein. It should therefore be understood that the above-described embodiments are presented by way of example only, and that, within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described or claimed. The present disclosure relates to each individual feature, system, article, material, and / or method described herein. Furthermore, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials and / or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials and / or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is also within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0106] The indefinite articles "a" and "an," as used in the specification and claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean "at least one."

[0107] As used in the specification and claims, the phrase "and / or" should be understood to mean "either or both" of the associated elements; i.e., in some cases the elements are present conjunctively and in other cases the elements are present disjunctively. Other elements, related or not, other than the elements identified by the "and / or" clause may optionally be present unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to "A and / or B," when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as "comprising," can, in one embodiment, refer to A without B (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, refer to B without A (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, refer to both A and B (optionally including other elements); and so forth.

[0108] As used herein and in the claims, "or" should be understood to have the same meaning as "and / or" as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, "or" or "and / or" shall be interpreted inclusively, i.e., to mean the inclusion of one or more elements, and may further include a plurality of elements and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicating the contrary, such as "only one of" or "exactly one of," or, when used in the claims, "consisting of," refer to the inclusion of exactly one of the elements of a number or list. Generally, the term "or" as used herein shall be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e., "one or the other, but not both") only when preceded by terms of exclusivity such as "either," "one of," "only one of," or "exactly one of." As used in the claims, "consisting essentially of" shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.

[0109] The phrase "at least one," as used herein and in the claims, in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list, but does not necessarily imply the inclusion of at least one of each element specifically listed in the list, nor does it exclude any combination of elements in the list. This definition also allows for the optional presence of elements, whether related or not, other than those specifically identified in the list of elements to which "at least one" refers. Thus, as a non-limiting example, "at least one A and B" (or, equivalently, "at least one A or B," or, equivalently, "at least one A and / or B") can, in one embodiment, refer to at least one A (which may optionally include multiple As, and elements other than B) in the absence of B; in another embodiment, refer to at least one B (which may optionally include multiple Bs, and elements other than A) in the absence of A; in yet another embodiment, refer to at least one A and at least one B (which may optionally include other elements); and so forth.

[0110] Some embodiments may be embodied as methods, various examples of which have been described. The acts performed as part of the method may be ordered in any suitable way. Thus, embodiments may be configured to perform acts in an order different from that described, may include different (e.g., more or fewer) acts than those described, and / or may include performing some acts simultaneously, even though acts in certain embodiments described above are shown as being performed sequentially.

[0111] The use of ordinal terms such as "first," "second," and "third" to modify claim elements in the claims does not, in and of itself, imply any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element relative to other claim elements, nor does it imply any chronological order in which method actions are performed, but is merely used as a label to distinguish one named claim element from another element having the same name but using the ordinal term to distinguish between them.

[0112] All transitional phrases, such as "comprising," "including," "carrying," "having," "containing," "involving," and "holding," both in the claims and in the specification, are to be understood as open-ended, i.e., meaning "including, but not limited to." Only the transitional phrases "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of" shall be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively, as defined in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Manual of Patent Examining Procedure, Section 2111.03.

Claims

1. Articles, including: a biodegradable material containing 0.05% by weight or more and / or 7% by weight or less of lignin, the biodegradable material having a first portion and a second portion; an intrinsic binder comprising a degradation product of the biodegradable material, the intrinsic binder being bound to the first and second portions of the biodegradable material; the thickness of the article is 1 mm or more and / or 25 mm or less; The porosity of the article is 25% or more and 80% or less, The density of the article is 0.3 g / cm ３ 1.8g / cm or more ３ is as follows: The amount of glucan in the article is 47% by weight or less.

2. Articles, including: a biodegradable material containing 0.05% by weight or more and / or 7% by weight or less of lignin, the biodegradable material having a first portion and a second portion; an intrinsic binder comprising a degradation product of the biodegradable material, the intrinsic binder being bound to the first and second portions of the biodegradable material; the thickness of the article is 1 mm or more and / or 25 mm or less; The porosity of the article is 25% or more and 80% or less, The density of the article is 0.3 g / cm ３ 1.8g / cm or more ３ is as follows: The amount of glucan in the product is 54% by weight or more.

3. Articles, including: a biodegradable material containing 17% by weight or more and / or 31% by weight or less of lignin, the biodegradable material having a first portion and a second portion; an intrinsic binder comprising a degradation product of the biodegradable material; the thickness of the article is 1 mm or more and / or 25 mm or less; The porosity of the article is 25% or more and 80% or less, The density of the biodegradable material and / or the intrinsic binder is 0.8 g / cm ３ 1.5g / cm or more ３ is as follows: The amount of glucan in the article is 47% by weight or less.

4. Articles, including: a biodegradable material containing 17% by weight or more and / or 31% by weight or less of lignin, the biodegradable material having a first portion and a second portion; an intrinsic binder comprising a degradation product of the biodegradable material; the thickness of the article is 1 mm or more and / or 25 mm or less; The porosity of the article is 25% or more and 80% or less, The density of the biodegradable material and / or the intrinsic binder is 0.8 g / cm ３ 1.5g / cm or more ３ is as follows: The amount of glucan in the product is 54% by weight or more.

5. 5. The article of claim 1, further comprising an external binder, the external binder being bound to the intrinsic binder and at least a portion of the first or second portion of the biodegradable material, and the external binder comprising 0.01 wt % or more of the total weight of the article.

6. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the amount of glucan is 0.1% by weight or more and less than 47% by weight based on the total weight of the article.

7. The article of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the amount of glucan is greater than 54% by weight and not greater than 90% by weight, based on the total weight of the article.

8. The article of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the intrinsic binder is formed at least in part from the biodegradable material.

9. The article of any one of claims 1 to 8, which is at least 20% crosslinked and / or at most 99.99% by weight crosslinked.

10. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 9, having a flexural strength of 1 MPa or more and / or 70 MPa or less.

11. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 10, having a tensile strength of at least 0.5 MPa and / or less than 65 MPa.

12. Internal bond strength is 0.5 N / mm ２ or more, and / or 1.6 N / mm ２ 12. The article of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein:

13. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 12, having a swollen thickness after immersion in water of 0 mm or more and / or 3 mm or less.

14. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 13, having a hardness of 15D or more and / or 80D or less.

15. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 14, having a bioresistance of 3 as measured by the ASTM-C1338 standard test.

16. The article of any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the biodegradable material is 55% or more by weight of the article.

17. The article of any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the intrinsic binder is no more than 45% by weight of the article.

18. The article of any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the biodegradable material comprises orange peel and / or coffee grounds.

19. 19. The article of any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the weight percentage of lignin in the biodegradable material is 0.06% or more and / or 34% or less.

20. 20. The article of any one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the weight percent of cellulose in the biodegradable material is 6 weight percent or more and / or 52 weight percent or less.

21. 21. The article of any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein the weight percent of hemicellulose in the biodegradable material is 6 weight percent or more and / or 17 weight percent or less.

22. The article of any one of claims 1 to 21, further comprising a surface finish on at least a portion of the surface.

23. (a) the surface finish comprises a naturally occurring compound; and / or (b) the surface finish comprises a hydrophobic material; and / or (c) the surface finish is a coating on at least a portion of the biodegradable material and / or the intrinsic binder; and / or (d) the surface finish includes or imparts flame retardant properties; and / or (e) the surface finish comprises sodium tetraborate decahydrate, boric acid and / or ammonium dihydrogen phosphate; and / or (f) the surface finish comprises rosin; and / or (g) the surface finish has a Shore D hardness of 40 or greater and / or 80 or less; and / or (h) the surface finish comprises shellac, and / or (i) the surface finish provides resistance to water and / or ambient moisture; and / or (j) the surface finish has a thickness change of 3 mm or less when immersed in water; and / or (k) the surface finish comprises rapeseed wax, linseed oil and / or limonene oil; and / or (l) the surface finish confers resistance to biological degradation; and / or (m) the surface finish comprises fibers; and / or (n) the facing comprises fibers comprising sugarcane and / or grass; and / or (o) the surface finish comprises flower petals, coffee beans, and / or orange peel; and / or (p) the surface finish comprises a dye of natural origin; and / or (q) the surface finish comprises naturally derived dyes including beetroot powder, butterfly pea powder and / or charcoal; and / or (r) the surface finish comprises tapioca starch, water and / or a base; and / or 23. The article of claim 22, wherein (s) said surface finish reduces swelling of said article compared to an article not having a surface finish.

24. The article according to any one of claims 1 to 23, wherein the protein content of the biodegradable material is 15% to 95% by weight.

25. The article of any one of claims 1 to 24, wherein the protein content of the biodegradable material is between 15% and 95% by weight, and the protein comprises keratin.

26. A method comprising: A biodegradable material containing 0.05% by weight or more and / or 7% by weight or less of lignin and having a first portion and a second portion is subjected to the following steps: reducing the particle size of the biodegradable material to an average diameter of 10 mm or less and / or 1 mm or more; decomposing at least a portion of the biodegradable material into degradation products and decomposed materials of the biodegradable material; and forming an intrinsic binder comprising degradation products of the biodegradable material, wherein the intrinsic binder is bound to the first and second portions of the biodegradable material; wherein the amount of glucan in the article is 47% by weight or less.

27. A method comprising: A biodegradable material containing 17% by weight or more and / or 31% by weight or less of lignin and having a first portion and a second portion is subjected to the following steps: reducing the particle size of the biodegradable material to an average diameter of at least 0.005 mm and / or at most 15 mm; decomposing at least a portion of the biodegradable material into degradation products and decomposed materials of the biodegradable material; and forming an intrinsic binder comprising degradation products of the biodegradable material, wherein the intrinsic binder is bound to the first and second portions of the biodegradable material; wherein the amount of glucan in the article is 54% by weight or greater.

28. A method comprising: A biodegradable material containing 0.05% by weight or more and / or 7% by weight or less of lignin and having a first portion and a second portion is subjected to the following steps: reducing the particle size of the biodegradable material to an average diameter of 10 mm or less and / or 1 mm or more; decomposing at least a portion of the biodegradable material into degradation products and decomposed materials of the biodegradable material; and forming an intrinsic binder comprising degradation products of the biodegradable material, wherein the intrinsic binder is bound to the first and second portions of the biodegradable material; wherein the amount of glucan in the article is 47% by weight or less.

29. A method comprising: A biodegradable material containing 17% by weight or more and / or 31% by weight or less of lignin and having a first portion and a second portion is subjected to the following steps: reducing the particle size of the biodegradable material to an average diameter of at least 0.005 mm and / or at most 15 mm; decomposing at least a portion of the biodegradable material into degradation products and decomposed materials of the biodegradable material; and forming an intrinsic binder comprising degradation products of the biodegradable material, wherein the intrinsic binder is bound to the first and second portions of the biodegradable material; wherein the amount of glucan in the article is 54% by weight or greater.

30. 30. The method of any one of claims 26 to 29, further comprising compressing the intrinsic binder, the first portion and the second portion of biodegradable material.

31. The method of any one of claims 26 to 30, further comprising forming the intrinsic binder, the first portion and the second portion of biodegradable material into a mat.

32. 32. The method of any one of claims 26 to 31, further comprising mixing the external binder with the intrinsic binder and the biodegradable material.

33. 33. The method of any one of claims 26 to 32, further comprising adjusting the moisture content of the biodegradable material.

34. 34. The method of any one of claims 26 to 33, further comprising removing water from the biodegradable material.

35. 35. The method of any one of claims 26 to 34, further comprising hydrating the biodegradable material, thereby increasing the water content of the biodegradable material by 80% by weight.

36. 36. The method of any one of claims 26 to 35, further comprising immersing the biodegradable material in an acid for a period of at least 1 hour and / or up to 48 hours.

37. 37. The method of any one of claims 26 to 36, further comprising treating the biodegradable material with an acid, wherein the acid comprises sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, acetic acid and / or citric acid, and / or sorbic acid.

38. 38. The method of any one of claims 26 to 37, further comprising soaking in base for a period of at least 1 hour and / or at most 48 hours.

39. 39. The method of any one of claims 26 to 38, further comprising treating the biodegradable material with a base, wherein the base comprises sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, and / or ammonium hydroxide.

40. 40. The method of any one of claims 26 to 39, further comprising applying steam to the biodegradable material, thereby releasing at least a portion of the lignin, cellulose and / or hemicellulose from the biodegradable material.

41. 41. The method of any one of claims 26 to 40, further comprising supplying steam at a temperature of at least 100°C and / or at most 220°C.

42. 42. The method of any one of claims 26 to 41, further comprising supplying steam at a pressure of at least 2 MPa and / or at most 12 MPa.

43. 43. The method of any one of claims 26-42, further comprising adding an external binder to the intrinsic binder and the first and second portions of biodegradable material, wherein the external binder is less than 45 wt% based on the total weight of the article.

44. 44. The method of any one of claims 26-43, further comprising adding an external binder to the intrinsic binder and the first and second portions of the biodegradable material, wherein the external binder comprises starch, pectin, cellulose, chitin, chitosan, lignin, tannin, rosin, and / or polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA).

45. 45. The method of any one of claims 26 to 44, further comprising adding an external binder to the intrinsic binder and the first and second portions of the biodegradable material, and wherein the starch comprises tapioca starch, potato starch, corn starch, barley starch, sorghum starch, and / or wheat starch.

46. 46. ​​The method of any one of claims 26 to 45, further comprising forming the intrinsic binder with a portion but not all of the biodegradable material.

47. 47. The method of any one of claims 26 to 46, further comprising heating the biodegradable material to a temperature of 120°C or higher and / or 220°C or lower.

48. 48. The method of any one of claims 26 to 47, further comprising cooling the biodegradable material from a first temperature to a second temperature.

49. 49. The method of any one of claims 26 to 48, further comprising cooling the biodegradable material from a first temperature to a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is 5°C, 10°C, or 20°C lower than the first temperature.

50. 50. The method of any one of claims 26 to 49, further comprising freeze-drying the biodegradable material.

51. 51. The method of any one of claims 26 to 50, further comprising compressing the intrinsic binder, the first portion and the second portion of biodegradable material, wherein the compressing comprises applying a pressure of at least 2 MPa and / or at most 12 MPa.

52. 52. The method of any one of claims 26 to 51, further comprising applying heat and compressing the intrinsic binder, the first portion and the second portion of biodegradable material.

53. 53. The method of any one of claims 26 to 52, further comprising shaping the intrinsic binder, the first portion and the second portion of biodegradable material from a first form to a second form different from the first form.

54. 54. The method of any one of claims 26 to 53, further comprising applying a surface finish and / or coating to the intrinsic binder, the first portion and the second portion of biodegradable material.

55. 55. The method of any one of claims 26 to 54, further comprising plasticizing the intrinsic binder, the first portion and the second portion of the biodegradable material.

56. 56. The method of any one of claims 26 to 55, wherein the pretreatment comprises a mechanical treatment, a chemical treatment, a biological treatment and / or a hydrothermal treatment.

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