The present invention relates to the use of thermoplastic starch in the manufacture of an adhesive and ultrathin waterproof-breathable film, said thermoplastic starch being provided in the form of an alloy with hydrophilic TPE comprising at least 10% by weight, preferably at least 20% by weight, preferably at least 30% by weight, preferably at least 40% by weight, preferably at least 50% by weight, of polyethylene glycol (PEG), with regard to the weight of the TPE. This film can be used in a textile product in the medical field, hygiene, luggage, the clothing industry, the garment industry, domestic or household equipment, furniture, fitted carpets, the automobile industry, industry, in particular industrial filtration, agriculture and/or the construction industry.

A foaming body for supporting microbes according to the present invention is superb in terms of microbial adherence to and affinity for pore areas therein, exhibits greatly improved supporting environments for microbes, and has a large surface area, thereby securing sufficient water treatment efficiency after loading microbes thereto.

A low cost biodegradable drinking straw comprising structurally non-altered corn starch mixed with one or more than one improver. The improver comprises a biological enzyme preparation and a colloid preparation. The low cost biodegradable drinking straw is made by providing 98% structurally non-altered corn starch mixed with one or more than one improver to make a biodegradable powder. The edible biodegradable powder is formed into a drinking straw shape and extruded to a drinking straw shape. When the extruded drinking straw shapes are cooled, they are cut into an appropriate drinking straw length. The cut drinking straws are then dried and packaged.

Compositions comprising a fiber component, optionally a dispersing agent operable to disperse the fiber component to create a fiber matrix, a starch component distributed essentially throughout the fiber matrix, and a filler component are disclosed. Methods of forming articles such as containers and packages from such compositions are also disclosed.

A multi-stage modified thermoplastic starch (TPS) masterbatch is obtained by four-stage modification treatment as follows: (i) 100 parts of starch with a moisture content of 15% to 30% are added to a high-speed mixer and stirred under room temperature; (ii) Heated to 50° C. to 70° C., polybutadiene (PB), plasticizer and a chemical modifier are added. The mixture is then stirred a second time; (iii) Heated to 75° C. to 95° C., tackifier, lubricant, filler and chain extender are added. The mixture is again stirred a third time. (iv) A biodegradable resin is added at this temperature, and the resulting mixture is stirred a fourth time. After the stirring is completed, the resulting mixture is incubated at this temperature for a predetermined time, and then added to a twin-screw extruder for melt extrusion. The present invention also discloses a preparation method and use.

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.

Various compositions of matter, methods of making compositions of matter, and methods of using compositions of matter, e.g. for inducing hemostasis, are disclosed. In some embodiments, a starting fibrin material is subjected to controlled hydrolysis, desirably base-catalyzed, to prepare a fibrin hydrolysate material with increased water sorption capacity. Such fibrin hydrolysate materials, alone or combined with one or more additional substances, can be used in the preparation of hemostasis promoting foams, powders or gels. In some embodiments, a starting dialdehyde starch material is subjected to controlled hydrolysis to prepare a dialdehyde starch hydrolysate material. Such dialdehyde starch hydrolysate materials, alone or combined with one or more additional substances, in some cases combined with a fibrin hydrolysate material, can be used in the preparation of hemostasis promoting foams, powders or gels.

The present invention relates to a multilayer structure including a starch layer (A), an adhesive layer (B), and a base material layer (C) in the order mentioned. In this multilayer structure, a material constituting the starch layer (A) comprises a starch and water; a material constituting the adhesive layer (B) comprises a thermoplastic resin having a density of 0.920 g/cm.sup.3 or lower and has an acid value of 0.3 mgKOH/g or higher; and the base material layer (C) is a layer having a tensile elastic modulus of 100 MPa or higher.

The present invention relates to a single-stage process for the production of starch blends in a twin-screw extruder or two twin-screw extruders arranged in series, where i) the starch, together with a plasticizer, passes through a wetting section of length 8D to 30D in an extruder or in a wetting section of length 8D to 80D if two extruders are used at temperatures below the gelatinization temperature of the starch, with mixing, where D is defined as the screw diameter of the screw cylinder and the wetting section is defined as starting at that point on the extruder screw at which the starch and the entire or partial quantity of plasticizer encounter one another and ending at that point in the extruder at which the starch is gelatinized and is digested to give thermoplastic starch; ii) in a plastifying section of length 10D to 50D the extruder temperature is adjusted stepwise to above 130° C., where the starch is digested, destructured and thermoplastified, and is dispersed in a starch-immiscible polymer, and a water content below 5%, based on the starch blend, is established before the material leaves the extruder; where the starch-immiscible polymer is added in molten or granular form at any desired point in the extruder, and a mixture of all of the components present is consequently produced.

A composite material is formed by combining an expandable polymer having a charge with another polymer having an opposite charge to produce. In particular, the composite material can be prepared by combining the polymers with a medium such as and water, and expanding the mixture using a treatment that expands the mixture to produce, for example, insoluble porous foam-like composite