The present disclosure relates to a filled composition comprising a substrate, functional filler, and an inorganic additive including a precipitated calcium carbonate for reducing the odour of the filled composition, and related uses, methods and articles of manufacture; the precipitated calcium carbonate having a specific surface area greater than about 18 m.sup.2/g, an inter-particle pore volume of at least about 0.05 cm.sup.3/g, an intra-particle pore volume of less than about 0.1 cm3/g, and a Dp of less than or equal to about 100 nm.

Disclosed is a particulate combined with a silicate in a discontinuous phase dispersed in a continuous polymer phase in a composite having enhanced properties.

Disclosed is a particulate combined with a silicate in a discontinuous phase dispersed in a continuous polymer phase in a composite having enhanced properties.

The present invention provides methods for preparing the nut waste sheet composites from a nut waste component and one or more binders.

The present invention provides methods for preparing the nut waste sheet composites from a nut waste component and one or more binders.

A biodegradable bioplastic composition of from 80 wt % to 95 wt % of a polymer having one or more thermoplastic polyester polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and from 5 wt % to 20 wt % an organic dispersed within the polymer. The biodegradable bioplastic composition is devoid of petrochemically derived components, fossil fuel derived components, processing aids, and plasticizer additives. A process is also disclosed for preparing the biodegradable bioplastic composition. The process involves compounding one or more thermoplastic polyester polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and an organic to form a mixture and homogenizing the mixture. Homogenizing includes feeding the mixture to a first extruder and extruding the mixture to form a composite composition and feeding the composite composition to a second extruder and extruding the composite composition to form the biodegradable bioplastic composition.

The present invention provides a continuous process for solid-state expansion of a biopolymer, e.g., polylactic acid, which can be used to manufacture reduced-density thermoplastic materials with improved physical and thermal properties. By incorporating multiple stages of heating into the process as a means to regulate heat flux, unprecedented control of microstructure and crystallinity can be achieved. Thermoplastic sheets with the distinct cellular characteristics imparted by the process disclosed herein were found to be thicker and stronger than materials prepared by conventional processes. Thermoforming sheets with such characteristics enabled the production of light-weight, thermally-stable, compostable products that resist warping, and are thus suitable for a range of industrial applications.

A recyclable thread or yarn having a dissolvable fiber and an insoluble fiber is provided and incorporated into a woven article, garment or textile. The dissolvable fiber and the insoluble fiber are twisted to form the thread or yarn. The dissolvable fiber may be a synthetic water soluble polymer and may dissolve in water at between 60° C. and 100° C. The insoluble fiber may be cotton such as extra-long staple (ELS) cotton or Supima cotton. A process for recycling a woven article, garment or textile made with the recyclable thread or yarn is also provided. The process for recycling a woven article, garment or textile made with the recyclable thread or yarn includes subjecting the woven article, garment or textile in water to a condition to cause said dissolvable fiber to lose long range order to form a slurry or solution.

A process for the manufacture of biodegradable plastic films in aqueous environment, starting from vegetal wastes in powder form is provided, without use in any steps of the process of chemical reagents and organic solvents that may leave harmful residues in the film, and without making use of operative conditions potentially compromising the environmental sustainability and an effortless scalability of the process.

A composite material includes a polymer matrix with a polymer having D-glucosamine monomer units and 50% or fewer N-acetyl-D-glucosamine monomer units. A salt can be disposed in the polymer matrix. A dispersed phase is disposed in the polymer matrix with the salt, and the dispersed phase and the polymer matrix form a porous composite foam. The porous composite foam includes, by weight, 0.5-3 times the dispersed phase to the polymer matrix, and the porous composite foam has a density of less than 1 g/cm.sup.3.