The invention relates to a biomaterial and/or a biocomposite based on sunflower seed shells/husks. According to the invention, it is proposed that sunflower seed shells/husks are used instead of wood, bamboo or other wood-like fiber products as the original material for the biocomposite products and are used for the production of such products in order to improve the previous biomaterials, and in particular also to design said materials for improved cost efficiency and to improve their material properties.

A method for producing polyHIPE porous monoliths, of the polyHIPE type or in the form of a rigid foam, by hardening solutions of condensed tannins in the presence of oil and/or air or in the presence of a non-water-miscible volatile solvent and/or air. Also disclosed is the use of these materials in the areas of catalysis, chromatography, heat and sound insulation, tissue engineering and medication release and as a floral foam.

A method of producing a hemp fiber foam is disclosed. The method may include providing a mixture of foam reactants including an amount of hemp fiber that contains an amount of absorbed moisture. The method may further include providing an amount of water to the mixture based on the amount of absorbed moisture within the amount of hemp fiber. The method may further include reacting the mixture, pouring the mixture into a mold, and curing the mixture to form a hemp fiber foam wherein the amount of hemp fiber is incorporated into the hemp fiber foam.

A process for producing a humic acid (HA)-derived foam, comprising: (a) preparing a HA dispersion having multiple HA molecules and an optional blowing agent dispersed in a liquid medium having a blowing agent-to-HA weight ratio from 0/1.0 to 1.0/1.0; (b) dispensing and depositing the HA dispersion onto a surface of a supporting substrate to form a wet HA layer; (c) partially or completely removing liquid medium from the wet HA layer to form a dried HA layer; and (d) heat treating the dried HA layer at a first heat treatment temperature from 80 C. to 3,200 C. at a desired heating rate sufficient to induce volatile gas molecules from the non-carbon elements or to activate the blowing agent for producing the HA-derived foam.

Disclosed are foam compositions and processes to form closed-cell tannin-based foams. The foams comprises a continuous polymeric phase defining a plurality of cells, wherein the continuous polymeric phase comprises a tannin-based resin derived from a tannin and a monomer, wherein the monomer comprises furfural, glyoxal, acetaldehyde, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, acrolein, levulinate esters, sugars, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, 2,5-furandicarboxylic aldehyde, urea, difurfural (DFF), furfuryl alcohol, glycerol, sorbitol, lignin, or mixtures thereof, and wherein the plurality of cells comprises a plurality of open-cells and a plurality of closed-cells with an open-cell content measured according to ASTM D6226-5, of less than 50%. The foam composition also comprises a discontinuous phase disposed in at least a portion of the plurality of closed-cells, the discontinuous phase comprising one or more blowing agents.

Described herein are low protein concentration gelling compositions comprising keratin proteins.

Disclosed are foam compositions and processes to form closed-cell tannin-based foams. The foams comprises a continuous polymeric phase defining a plurality of cells, wherein the continuous polymeric phase comprises a tannin-based resin derived from a tannin, a first monomer, and a second monomer, wherein the first monomer comprises formaldehyde, paraformaldehyde, furfural, glyoxal, acetaldehyde, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, acrolein, levulinate esters, sugars, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, 2,5-furandicarboxylic aldehyde, urea, difurfural (DFF), or mixtures thereof, and the second monomer comprises furfuryl alcohol, glycerol, sorbitol, lignin, or mixtures thereof, and wherein the plurality of cells comprises a plurality of open-cells and a plurality of closed-cells with an open-cell content measured according to ASTM D6226-5, of less than 50%. The foam composition also comprises a discontinuous phase disposed in at least a portion of the plurality of closed-cells, the discontinuous phase comprising one or more blowing agents.

Described herein are low protein concentration gelling compositions comprising keratin proteins.

Provided is an elastomer which is suitable for application in actuators or sensors, and which exhibits an appropriately low initial elastic modulus in a low deformation region. An elastomer composition containing the following components (A) to (D): component (A): a polyrotaxane; component (B): a crosslinking agent containing a second linear molecule having a molecular weight of 1,200 to 7,000, and a functional group disposed at both ends of the second linear molecule; component (C): a double-reactive component having a reactive group at both ends; and component (D): a single-reactive component having a reactive group at only one end, wherein at least a portion of the functional group in the component (B) is directly or indirectly bonded to the cyclic molecule in the component (A), and the elastomer composition exhibits an initial elastic modulus of 0.6 to 2 MPa.

The present invention primarily concerns a process for producing a plastic material, comprising the steps (i) providing a corn gluten source and a first liquid phase comprising an organic solvent; (ii) extracting solvent-soluble components of the corn gluten source into the first liquid phase; (iii) precipitating a first fraction of the solvent-soluble components out of the first liquid phase, resulting in a second solid phase including the first fraction of the solvent-soluble components and a second liquid phase including a second fraction of the solvent-soluble components; (iv) separating the second solid phase and the second liquid phase; and (v) recovering a flexible plastic material from the second liquid phase or recovering a hard plastic material from the second solid phase.