A microprotrusion device (1A) according to the present invention includes a needle-like and hollow first protrusion portion (3) that is formed so as to protrude from one surface (2a) of a substrate sheet (2) and a hollow second protrusion portion (4) that is formed so as to protrude from a vicinity of the first protrusion portion (3) on the one surface (2a) of the substrate sheet (2) and has a protrusion height lower than that of the first protrusion portion (3). The first protrusion portion (3) has an opening at its tip end portion, and a hollow portion (30) of the first protrusion portion (3) is in communication with the outside via the opening portion (31). The opening portion (31) is formed at the tip end of the first protrusion portion (3).

A process of manual, semi-automatic and fully-automated integration of discrete components into a container that results in fast, reliable, cost-effective, and scalable production of composite containers is disclosed. The process can be embodied in manufacturing equipment that has a series of stations and may be called an assembly device. The equipment can produce containers, tubs, canisters, cartridges, etc. which are easily separated into different bio-degradable or compostable parts. Other container types are possible and are contemplated.

An apparatus for forming blanks from fibrous material is disclosed. The apparatus includes a die having a porous body with a plurality of perforations extending there through, the plurality of perforations having varying sizes and being layered from a top surface to a bottom surface of the porous body. A smooth molding surface is provided on the top surface to hold the fibrous material and allow water to drain from the fibrous material through the plurality of perforations.

An apparatus for forming blanks from fibrous material is disclosed. The apparatus includes a die having a molding surface and perforations through molding surface and a body of the die; a molding screen; and a vacuum mechanism positioning fibrous material onto the molding surface and extracting water away from the fibrous material.

A biodecomposable film material includes: a biodecomposable material which is one or more selected from the group consisting of polylactic acid, poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) and poly butylene succinate and which has a mass percentage of 60-70%; a food grade agricultural waste having a diameter smaller than 50 m and a mass percentage of 10-30%; a modifier which is calcium carbonate powder or magnesium silicate salt powder and which has a diameter smaller than 8 m and a mass percentage of 7-29%; and an organic decomposing bacterium which is Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. The organic decomposing bacterium is heat resistant bacillus capable of withstanding a temperature of 100 C. and has a mass percentage of 1-3%. The biodecomposable material, the food grade agricultural waste, the modifier, and the organic decomposing bacterium are subjected to compounding and blowing to form a film having a thickness of 40-60 m.

The present invention provides biodegradable compositions for making biodegradable plastic. The composition comprise about 25% to about 50% by weight starch; about 0.5% to about 10% by weight ground plant waste material; about 20% to about 50% a polymer derived from ethylene, vinyl alcohol and/or an ester of vinyl alcohol; about 10% to about 30% of a plasticizer; and about 3% to about 10% a filler and optionally a processing agent.

The present invention relates to a web of fibrous cellulosic material derived from wood pulp, said web being suitable for three-dimensional moulding to form a packaging product, wherein the web comprises >40 wt % of soft wood chemical pulp and at least one strength enhancement agent, wherein the web has a grammage less than 400 g/m.sup.2, and wherein the cellulose fibers of said soft wood chemical pulp comprise a fiber curl of >9%.

A method is described. The method comprising inputting starch into an extruder, inputting a plasticizer into the extruder, outputting an extrudate from the extruder, and chopping the extrudate output from the extruder into pellets. The extrudate includes the starch and the plasticizer. A pellet for manufacturing a biodegradable product is described. The pellet comprises starch and a plasticizer. A composition of the pellet, by weight percent, includes a starch weight percent representative of the starch included in the pellet and a plasticizer weight percent representative of the plasticizer included in the pellet. The starch weight percent is greater than the plasticizer weight percent and a density of the pellet is at least 0.5 g/cm.sup.3.

A method for producing a cellulose product from a multi-layer cellulose blank structure, wherein the method comprises the steps; forming the multi-layer cellulose blank structure from at least a first layer of dry-formed cellulose fibres and a second layer of a cellulose fibre web structure, through arranging the at least first layer and second layer in a superimposed relationship to each other and in the superimposed relationship arranging the at least first layer and second layer in contact with each other; arranging the multi-layer cellulose blank structure in a forming mould; heating the multi-layer cellulose blank structure to a forming temperature in the range of 100 C. to 300 C., and forming the cellulose product from the multi-layer cellulose blank structure in the forming mould, by pressing the heated multi-layer cellulose blank structure with an isostatic forming pressure of at least 1 MPa, preferably 4-20 MPa, wherein the multi-layer cellulose blank structure is shaped into a two-dimensional or three-dimensional fibre composite structure having a single-layer configuration.

A melt spinnable fiber is provided that comprises a first component comprising a thermoplastic polymer, and a second component comprising thermoplastic starch where the second component is not encompassed by another component or components or if encompassed by another component or components then the second component encompasses a hollow core. A particular use of such a fiber is for removal of the second component in the presence of a solvent in order to produce fibers with desired properties. An agent may be present in the second component for controlling the rate of removal of the second component thereby allowing for physical manipulation of the fiber prior to complete removal of the component. The invention is also directed to nonwoven webs and disposable articles comprising the fibers.