A process for producing a biopolymer nanoparticles product is disclosed. In this process, biopolymer feedstock and a plasticizer are fed to a feed zone of an extruder having a screw configuration in which the feedstock is process using shear forces in the extruder, and a crosslinking agent is added to the extruder downstream of the feed zone. The biopolymer feedstock and plasticizer are preferably added separately to the feed zone. The screw configuration may include two or more steam seal sections. Shear forces in a first section of the extruder may be greater than shear forces in an adjacent second section of the extruder downstream of the first section. In a post reaction section located after a point in which the crosslinking reaction has been completed, water may be added to improve die performance.

A thermoplastic starch composition acquired from compounding a mixture comprising starch-containing agricultural byproducts in 45 to 70% by weight of total composition, the agricultural byproducts having a starch content less than 50% dry weight; thermoplastic synthetic polymer in 25 to 50% by weight of total composition; plasticizer in 1 to 10% by weight of total composition; and coupling agent in 1 to 5% by weight of total composition; the compounding performed at a first temperature which is higher than room temperature.

A method for producing starch granules suitable as an excipient for an orally disintegrating tablet. Fluidized bed granulation is performed by spraying a starch paste in small amounts while a -starch is being fluidized using an air-fluidized bed. Subsequently, fluidized bed drying is performed at a temperature equal to or higher than the gelatinization temperature of the -starch. This yields starch granules having a high degree of gelatinization in comparison with the amount of -starch adhered to the -starch by the spraying of the starch paste. These starch granules alone impart satisfactory oral disintegratability and breaking strength to the tablet. Accordingly, when used as an excipient during tableting of orally disintegrating tablets, other auxiliary excipients such as saccharides or crystalline cellulose need not be added.

A film formed from a water-soluble polymer matrix containing a fragrance is provided. The film is water-sensitive so that upon contact with a sufficient amount of water, the matrix loses its integrity to increasingly expose the fragrance to the ambient environment for releasing its odor. The ability to incorporate a fragrance into the matrix is achieved by controlling the nature of the fragrance and polymer, the manner in which the matrix and fragrance are melt processed, etc. For example, the fragrance may be injected directly into the extruder and melt blended with the polymer to avoid the costly, time-consuming steps of pre-encapsulation or pre-compounding of the fragrance into a masterbatch. Furthermore, to balance the fragrance's ability to release the desired odor during use while minimizing the premature exhaustion of the odor during processing, the fragrance has a boiling point (at atmospheric pressure) of from about 125 C. to about 350 C.

Embodiments of the present technology include a formaldehyde-free binder composition. The composition may include melamine. The composition may also include a reducing sugar. In addition, the binder composition may include a non-carbohydrate aldehyde or ketone. Embodiments may also include a method of making a formaldehyde-free binder composition. The method may include dissolving melamine in an aqueous solution of a reducing sugar. The concentration of the reducing sugar may be 30 wt. % to 70 wt. % of the aqueous solution, which may be at a temperature of 50 C. to 100 C. The method may also include adding a non-carbohydrate aldehyde or ketone to the dissolved melamine in the aqueous solution to form a binder solution. The temperature of the aqueous solution of the dissolved melamine may be 50 C. to 100 C. during the addition of the non-carbohydrate aldehyde or ketone. The method may further include reducing the temperature of the binder solution.

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

A curable aqueous binder composition comprising sheared or extruded cross linked starch particles and a crosslinking agent for use in the formation of composite materials such as mineral, natural organic or synthetic fiber products including mineral fiber insulation, non-woven mats, fiberglass insulation and related glass fiber products as well as wood based products and construction materials. In one application the curable aqueous starch binder composition may be blended with a second non-formaldehyde resin to make fiberglass insulation. In another application the curable aqueous starch binder composition may be mixed into a formaldehyde based resin to make fiberglass roof shingles.

A foam precursor, a foam, and methods for making the foam precursor and the foam is described. The foam precursor includes unmodified starch, polybutylene adipate-co-therephthalate (PBAT), and water. A PBAT weight percent representative of the PBAT included in the foam precursor is from 10% to 40%. A starch weight percent representative of the unmodified starch included in the foam precursor is greater than the PBAT weight percent. A water weight percent representative of the water included in the foam precursor is 20% or less. The PBAT weight percent is greater than the water weight percent. A density of the foam precursor is from 400 kg/m.sup.3 to 1500 kg/m.sup.3.

A process for producing a core-sheath polymer strand involves inserting a nucleation element through a first pre-strand composition at least partially into a second pre-strand composition. The first pre-strand composition contains a first polymer and the second pre-strand composition contains a second polymer. The nucleation element is then withdrawn from the second pre-strand composition through the first pre-strand composition. The nucleation element is then pulled out of the first pre-strand composition so that a polymer strand having a core of the first polymer encapsulated by a sheath of the second polymer is pulled by the nucleation element out from the pre-strand compositions. The core-sheath polymer may be differentially cross-linked and functional additives may be included in the pre-strand compositions so that the core-sheath polymer contains different functional additives in the core vs. the sheath or different concentrations of the same additive in the core vs. the sheath.

The invention is directed to a method of preparing a blend comprising a polysaccharide and a water soluble or dispersible ingredient. More in particular, the invention relates to the preparation of such blend using a filter centrifuge. The method of the invention comprises a. feeding a polysaccharide slurry to a filter centrifuge via a first inlet; b. rotating the filter centrifuge at a first centrifuge speed to provide a polysaccharide cake; c. feeding a sprayable ingredient to the filter centrifuge via a second inlet; and d. spraying the sprayable ingredient onto the polysaccharide cake while rotating the filter centrifuge at a second centrifuge speed to produce a blend of the polysaccharide and the ingredient.