Described herein are methods for rendering biodegradable a plastic material that is not itself biodegradable, by blending the plastic material with a carbohydrate-based polymeric material that is formed from one or more starches, and a plasticizer (e.g., glycerin). The carbohydrate-based polymeric material is less crystalline than the starting starch materials, e.g., being substantially amorphous, and having a crystallinity of no more than 20%. Third party testing shows blends of such materials render the entire blend biodegradable, believed to be due to the low crystalline substantially amorphous carbohydrate-based polymeric material breaking the hygroscopic barrier associated with the non-biodegradable plastic material, so that when blended together, both the plastic material and the carbohydrate-based polymeric material are biodegradable.

A biodegradable composite comprising a polymeric matrix including but not limited to poly lactide (PLA), poly (butylene succinate) 20 (PBS), poly(butylene succinate adipate) (PBSA), including bio-based PBSA (BioPBSA), poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), polycaprolactone (PCL), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA(s)), poly(3-hydroxy)butyrate (PHB), poly(3-hydroxy-butyrate-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), copolyester of the monomers 1.4-butanediol, adipic acid and terephthalic acid (Ecoflex™) and polypropylene carbonate (PPC), and biocarbon, a.k.a. biochar or pyrolyzed biomass as a sustainable filler. The biodegradable composite achieves high oxygen barrier with balanced water barrier. Also, a method of manufacturing the biodegradable composite and articles of manufacturing comprising the biodegradable composite. The articles of manufacturing have application in limiting gas permeation into a package and extending shelf life of a material.

A biodegradable composite comprising a polymeric matrix including but not limited to poly lactide (PLA), poly (butylene succinate) 20 (PBS), poly(butylene succinate adipate) (PBSA), including bio-based PBSA (BioPBSA), poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), polycaprolactone (PCL), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA(s)), poly(3-hydroxy)butyrate (PHB), poly(3-hydroxy-butyrate-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), copolyester of the monomers 1.4-butanediol, adipic acid and terephthalic acid (Ecoflex™) and polypropylene carbonate (PPC), and biocarbon, a.k.a. biochar or pyrolyzed biomass as a sustainable filler. The biodegradable composite achieves high oxygen barrier with balanced water barrier. Also, a method of manufacturing the biodegradable composite and articles of manufacturing comprising the biodegradable composite. The articles of manufacturing have application in limiting gas permeation into a package and extending shelf life of a material.

A starch-containing solid composition having both preferable elasticity during water retention and low viscosity during water retention when heated under water-containing conditions is provided. The starch content in the composition is 20 mass% or more in terms of dry mass. 300 pieces/mm2 or less of starch grain structures are observed in a 6% suspension of a pulverized product of the composition. The gelatinization peak temperature is below 120° C. as measured using a rapid viscoanalyzer when a 14 mass% water slurry of the pulverized composition is heated from 50° C. to 140° C. at a heating rate of 12.5° C./min. The degree of gelatinization of starch in the composition is 50 mass% or more. For the composition, value α is 60% or less, and value β is 35% or more.

A starch-containing solid composition having both preferable elasticity during water retention and low viscosity during water retention when heated under water-containing conditions is provided. The starch content in the composition is 20 mass% or more in terms of dry mass. 300 pieces/mm2 or less of starch grain structures are observed in a 6% suspension of a pulverized product of the composition. The gelatinization peak temperature is below 120° C. as measured using a rapid viscoanalyzer when a 14 mass% water slurry of the pulverized composition is heated from 50° C. to 140° C. at a heating rate of 12.5° C./min. The degree of gelatinization of starch in the composition is 50 mass% or more. For the composition, value α is 60% or less, and value β is 35% or more.

Provided is a food or beverage composition for suppressing an expression of an interleukin 7 receptor (IL-7R) gene, including a resistant starch-rich starch satisfying the following conditions (a), (b), (c) and (d) as an active ingredient: (a) having a resistant starch content of 60% or more, as determined by the AOAC Official Method 2002.02 for measuring resistant starch, (b) having a molecular weight peak more than or equal to 6×10.sup.3 and less than or equal to 4×10.sup.4, (c) having a molecular weight dispersity more than or equal to 1.5 and less than or equal to 6.0, and (d) having a gelatinization enthalpy at 50° C. to 130° C. of 10 J/g or less, as measured by differential scanning calorimetry.

A method of manufacturing a biodegradable bioplastic includes preparing a plant derived polymer base, preparing bamboo extracts from bamboo wood, and combining the bamboo extracts with the polymer base, optionally by heating and mixing the polymer base in a liquid form together with the bamboo extracts in a liquid form. The bamboo extracts may be applied as a surface treatment of the polymer base, with the polymer base in a solid form. The plant derived polymer base may include water, potassium bicarbonate, glycerol and starch, such as arrowroot. The plant derived polymer base and the bamboo extracts may be combined at ambient temperature, heated, cooled, reheated and recooled and solidified.

Disclosed are epoxy resins exhibiting a highly favorable combination of tensile strength and elongation with respect to prior art epoxy systems. The elastomeric epoxy resin systems of the invention are prepared utilizing a curing agent containing at least one monoprimary amine, and are particularly useful in applications such as, for example, castings, potting, composites, crack sealing, coatings, adhesives, roofing materials, flooring or reinforced membranes.

Disclosed are epoxy resins exhibiting a highly favorable combination of tensile strength and elongation with respect to prior art epoxy systems. The elastomeric epoxy resin systems of the invention are prepared utilizing a curing agent containing at least one monoprimary amine, and are particularly useful in applications such as, for example, castings, potting, composites, crack sealing, coatings, adhesives, roofing materials, flooring or reinforced membranes.

Discloses is a packaging paper for food having a grammage between 20 g/m.sup.2 and 40 g/m.sup.2, and having a filler content of less than 20 wt. % relative to the weight of the uncoated paper. On at least one side the packaging paper has a coating that contains a vegetable oil encapsulated in a polymer, and also talc and a binder. Both sides of the finished packaging paper have a Cobb 60 value of 14 g/m.sup.2 to 22 g/m.sup.2.