Polymeric Blend with Poly Alpha-1,3-Glucan for Enhanced Strength and Barrier
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a biodegradable polymer additive that can enhance the tensile modulus and tensile strength of polymeric blends, while also reducing the oxygen transmission rate, to improve the performance of polymers used in various applications such as textiles and packaging.
Innovation Solution
A polymeric blend composition comprising a polymer blended with poly alpha-1,3-glucan, which increases the tensile modulus and tensile strength by up to 400% and decreases the oxygen transmission rate by up to 90% compared to the base polymer, achieving improved mechanical properties and barrier performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If poly alpha-1,3-glucan is blended with polymer to increase tensile modulus and tensile strength, then mechanical properties are improved, but oxygen transmission rate decreases (which may be undesirable for certain applications)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters of the polymeric blend by incorporating poly alpha-1,3-glucan at specific concentrations (1-75 wt%). This parameter change simultaneously improves tensile strength and modifies oxygen transmission properties, allowing optimization based on application requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system combining synthetic or natural polymers with poly alpha-1,3-glucan. This composite approach enables synergistic effects where the glucan component enhances mechanical strength while the polymer matrix provides structural continuity, and the blend ratio can be tuned to control oxygen transmission characteristics.
2Strength
If poly alpha-1,3-glucan is blended with polymer to increase tensile modulus, then rigidity is improved, but oxygen transmission rate decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the physical parameter of tensile modulus by incorporating poly alpha-1,3-glucan into the polymer matrix. The glucan content (1-75 wt%) serves as a可调 parameter that simultaneously influences both rigidity and oxygen transmission, enabling balanced optimization for specific applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite blend of polymer and poly alpha-1,3-glucan creates a material system where the glucan phase acts as a reinforcing element that increases tensile modulus. The interfacial interaction between polymer and glucan phases also affects oxygen diffusion pathways, allowing dual optimization of mechanical and barrier properties.
3Reliability
If biodegradable polymer additive is used to enhance mechanical properties, then environmental sustainability is improved, but oxygen barrier performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses poly alpha-1,3-glucan, a biodegradable polysaccharide, as the additive component in the blend. The concentration of this biodegradable component (1-75 wt%) can be adjusted to achieve the desired balance between maintaining biodegradability and controlling oxygen transmission properties for the application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite system combining biodegradable poly alpha-1,3-glucan with a polymer matrix. This composite approach maintains the biodegradability advantage of natural polymers while the polymer component and optimized blend ratio provide improved oxygen barrier performance compared to using pure biodegradable polymer.
Data Source
AI summary
A polymeric blend composition comprising: (a) from about 1 to about 99 wt. % of a polymer; and (b) from about 1 to about 75 wt. % poly alpha-1,3-glucan is disclosed. The addition of alpha-1,3-glucan as a polymer filler can increase the tensile modulus, tensile strength and oxygen barrier properties of the polymeric blend composition.