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 composites.

A process for injection molded microcellular foaming various flexible foam compositions from biodegradable and industrially compostable bio-derived thermoplastic resins for use in, for example, footwear components, seating components, protective gear components, and watersport accessories wherein a process of manufacturing includes the steps of: producing a suitable thermoplastic biopolymer or biopolymer blend; injection molding the thermoplastic biopolymer or biopolymer blend into a suitable mold shape with inert nitrogen gas; controlling the polymer melt, pressure, temperature, and time such that a desirable flexible foam is formed; and utilizing gas counterpressure in the injection molding process to ensure the optimal foam structure with the least amount of cosmetic defects and little to no plastic skin on the outside of the foamed structure.

The invention features biodegradable, compostable molding mass compositions, molding masses, molded articles, coating solutions, and systems and methods for the manufacture of same.

The present invention relates to a creamy substance, which is configured to be discharged from a squeezing tool to produce a decorative body-formed toy, and contains a resin and a starch and has transparency.

A foam comprising starch and urea is described. A composition of the foam, by weight percent, includes a starch weight percent representative of the starch included in the foam and a urea weight percent representative of the urea included in the foam. The starch weight percent is greater than the urea weight percent.

A film structure includes a first outer layer system, a second outer layer system, and a core layer system. The first outer layer system includes at least one layer formed of a starch polymer thermoplastic bioresin. The second outer layer system includes at least one layer formed of a starch polymer thermoplastic bioresin. The core layer system includes at least one layer formed of a modified Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVOH). The first outer layer system, the second outer layer system, and the core layer system are compostable.

Thermoplastic starch materials and methods of making the same are provided. The methods involve mixing a starch material, plasticizer and water in a low-shear mixer under conditions that will result in substantial gelatinization of the starch material. The melt formed within the mixer is discharged into an extruder for final processing. The methods prevent degradation of the starch material thereby resulting in the formation of a thermoplastic starch material having high strength, due at least in part to the preservation of the molecular weight characteristics of the starch, and improved elasticity due the ability to use higher water contents than conventional processes.

Disclosed herein is a multilayered article comprising a core layer comprising a thermoplastic polymer; where the thermoplastic polymer comprises a polyolefin, thermoplastic starch, and a compatibilizer; where the compatibilizer does not contain ethylene acrylic acid; where the polyolefin is not polypropylene and where the polyolefin present in an amount of greater than 40 wt %, based on a total weight of the core layer; a first layer comprising a thermoplastic resin; and a second layer comprising a thermoplastic resin; where the first layer and the second layer are devoid of fillers; where the first layer is disposed on a side of the core layer that is opposed to the side that contacts the second layer; where the multilayered article has an optical clarity of greater than 80% when measured as per ASTM D 1746 and a total haze less than 8% when measured as per ASTM D 1003.

A process for injection molded microcellular foaming various flexible foam compositions from biodegradable and industrially compostable bio-derived thermoplastic resins for use in, for example, footwear components, seating components, protective gear components, and watersport accessories wherein a process of manufacturing includes the steps of: producing a suitable thermoplastic biopolymer or biopolymer blend; injection molding the thermoplastic biopolymer or biopolymer blend into a suitable mold shape with inert nitrogen gas; controlling the polymer melt, pressure, temperature, and time such that a desirable flexible foam is formed; and utilizing gas counterpressure in the injection molding process to ensure the optimal foam structure with the least amount of cosmetic defects and little to no plastic skin on the outside of the foamed structure.

A process is presented and described for the production of moldings, comprising the steps of (a) providing a polymer composition comprising from 1 to 99% by weight of polyhydroxyalkanoate and from 1 to 99% by weight of starch-containing polymer; (b) homogenizing the polymer composition with use of thermal and/or mechanical energy; (c) introducing the polymer composition into a mold; (d) molding the molding in the mold; and (e) removing the molding from the mold. The process described is in particular suitable for the production of hard capsules.