The present disclosure provides a method of processing shell material. Shell material processed in accordance with the methods disclosed herein may be biodegradable and may further represent a new type of useful material. By way of example, the processed shell material may be useable as a material to make useful materials, items, objects and/or tools.

The present invention relates to a new liquid composition comprising biological entities having a polymer-degrading activity, a carrier and a solvent that may be advantageously used for the manufacture of a biodegradable plastic product.

Foam compositions are provided including a polylactic acid polymer; second (e.g., polyvinyl acetate) polymer having a glass transition temperature (T.sub.g) of at least 25° C.; and plasticizer. Also described are articles comprising the foam compositions, such as a sheet or hearing protection article. Methods of making and using the foam compositions are further described herein.

The present invention relates to a biopolymer-based hydrogel as a functional biomaterial produced by crosslinking in the presence of a photopolymerization initiator. The hydrogel of the present invention is elastic so as to be adapted to various shapes in both in vivo and in vitro applications. It is biocompatible, achieving maximum effects on wound healing as wound dressing and tissue adhesion preventing material. The present invention also relates to a method for producing the biocompatible hydrogel.

The present invention relates to a new liquid composition comprising biological entities having a polymer-degrading activity, a carrier and a solvent that may be advantageously used for the manufacture of a biodegradable plastic product.

A biodegradable additive, a biodegradable polyester fiber and a method for producing the same, and a biodegradable fabric are provided. The biodegradable additive includes a polyester resin material and a biodegradable resin material. The biodegradable resin material is at least one material selected from the group consisting of polybutylene succinate (PBS), polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), polycaprolactone (PCL), polylactic acid (PLA), and derivatives thereof. In the biodegradable additive, a content range of the polyester resin material is between 40 wt % and 80 wt %, and a content range of the biodegradable resin material is between 20 wt % and 60 wt %.

A method of producing a thermoplastic starch by an in-situ reactive extrusion plasticization process and a method for preparing a starch/polymer blend by an in-situ reactive extrusion plasticization and compatibilization process. In the method, a plasticizer reaction precursor (or a plasticizing compatibilizer reaction precursor) is mixed with starch to adhere to the surface of the starch or enter the starch to break the intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen bonds of the starch. Then a mixture of the plasticizer reaction precursor (or the plasticizing compatibilizer reaction precursor) and starch is subjected to extrusion to produce the thermoplastic starch (or the starch/polymer blend), where the reaction precursor undergoes an in-situ reaction on the surfaces of the starch and in the starch to form a macro-molecular plasticizer (or a plasticizing compatibilizer) to plasticize starch or provide plasticizing and compatibilizing effect on the starch/polymer blend.

A process for the preparation of beads including a biocompatible hydrophobic polymer, a perfluorocarbon, polyvinylalcohol and optionally a metal compound, including the steps of: adding the perfluorocarbon and optionally the metal compound to a solution of the biocompatible hydrophobic polymer in a polar solvent to provide a first liquid mixture, adding the first liquid mixture to an aqueous solution of a biocompatible surfactant including polyvinylalcohol under sonication to obtain a second liquid mixture, a) maintaining the sonication of the second liquid mixture while cooling, b) evaporating the polar solvent from the second liquid mixture to obtain a suspension of beads including the biocompatible hydrophobic polymer, the perfluorocarbon and optionally the metal compound, c) separating the beads from the suspension and preparing a water suspension of the beads and d) freeze-drying the water suspension to obtain the beads, wherein the addition of the first liquid mixture to the biocompatible surfactant in step b) is performed within a period of at most 10 seconds, wherein the sonication in step b) and the sonication in step c) are performed directly into the liquid mixtures by for example a probe or flow sonicator at an amplitude of at least 120 μm for 0.01-10 minutes and wherein the weight ratio of the biocompatible surfactant to the biocompatible hydrophobic polymer is at least 3:1. Beads having close F—H2O interactions, which are suitable for imaging purposes.

A polymeric material for use in thermal insulation is provided. The polymeric material is formed from a thermoplastic composition containing a continuous phase that includes a matrix polymer and within which a microinclusion additive and nanoinclusion additive are dispersed in the form of discrete domains. A porous network is defined in the material that includes a plurality of nanopores having an average cross-sectional dimension of about 800 nanometers or less. The polymeric material exhibits a thermal conductivity of about 0.20 watts per meter-kelvin or less.

A polylactic acid resin composition is obtained by melting a mixture containing 100 parts by weight of a poly-L-lactic acid (A) having an L-lactic acid purity of 99 mol % or more, 2.6 to 10 parts by weight of a plasticizer (B), and 0.3 to 1.0 part by weight of a lubricant (C), then cooling the mixture to 20 to 40° C., and then heating the mixture to 46 to 70° C., and satisfies the following conditions (a) and (b): (a) a haze value at a thickness of 0.3 mm is 5% or less; and (b) the degree of crystallinity measured by a differential scanning calorimeter is 50 to 70%.