AQUEOUS BIOPOLYMER DISPERSIONS

Abstract

An aqueous biopolymer dispersion composition comprising: a biopolymer selected from the group consisting of: polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), polybutylene succinate (PBS), polybutylene succinate adipate (PBSA), polylactic acid (PLA), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), polycaprolactone (PCL), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBH); poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), and mixtures thereof; a stabilising agent selected from the group consisting of: polyvinyl alcohol, fatty alcohol ethoxylates, ethylene oxide/propylene oxide (EO/PO) block copolymers, salts of fatty acids and mixtures thereof; a rheology modifier; a cross linking agent; optional further ingredients; and water.

Claims

1. An aqueous biopolymer dispersion composition comprising: a biopolymer selected from the group consisting of: polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), polybutylene succinate (PBS), polybutylene succinate adipate (PBSA), polylactic acid (PLA), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), polycaprolactone (PCL), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBH); poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), and mixtures thereof; a stabilising agent selected from the group consisting of: polyvinyl alcohol, fatty alcohol ethoxylates, ethylene oxide/propylene oxide (EO/PO) block copolymers, salts of fatty acids and mixtures thereof; a rheology modifier; a cross linking agent; optional further ingredients; and water.

2. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the biopolymer is present in the dispersion in the amount of 10 wt % to 80 wt %, preferably 15 wt % to 65 wt %, more preferably 20 wt % to 40 wt %, and more preferably 30 wt % to 40 wt % based on the total weight of the aqueous dispersion.

3. The composition according to claim 1, further comprising a wax or tackifier selected from the group consisting of: carnauba wax, beeswax, polyethylene, copolymers of polyethylene, oxidized polyethylene, copolymers of oxidized polyethylene, polyethers, lanolin, shellac, paraffin, candelilla, microcrystalline waxes, soy wax, montan wax, rosin ester, terpene resin, terpene-phenol resin, terpene phenol, pentaerythritol rosin ester, a modified terpene resin, a polyterpene, a phenol modified copolymer of styrene, and alpha methyl styrene, hydrocarbon resins and mixtures thereof.

4. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the stabilising agent is polyvinyl alcohol.

5. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the stabilising agent is present in the dispersion in an amount of: 1 wt % to 6 wt %, preferably 2 wt % to 4 wt %, more preferably 2 wt % to 3 wt %.

6. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the rheology modifier is selected from the group consisting of: xanthan gum, cellulose ether, carboxy methyl cellulose, guar, polysaccharides, associative thickeners such fully hydrolysed polyacrylic acid, and polyurethane thickeners, and mixtures thereof.

7. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the cross-linking agent is a bifunctional carboxylic acid or bifunctional aldehyde.

8. A composition as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cross-linking agent is selected from the group consisting of: oxalic acid, malonic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, pimelic acid, suberic acid, azelaic acid, sebacic acid, undecanedioic acid, dodecanedioic acid, brassylic acid, thapsic acid, japanic acid, phellogenic acid, equisetolic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, acetylene dicarboxylic acid, glutaconic acid, traumatic acid, muconic acid, glutinic acid, citraconic acid, mesaconic acid, itaconic acid, tartronic acid, mesoxalic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, oxaloacetic acid, aspartic acid, α-hydroxyglutaric acid, arabinaric acid, acetone dicarboxylic acid, α-ketoglutaric acid, glutamic acid, diaminopimelic acid, saccharic acid, malondialdehyde, succinaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, isocitric acid, aconitric acid, propane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid, trimesic acid and mixtures thereof.

9. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the cross-linking agent is selected from the group consisting of: adipic acid, maleic acid, glyoxal, citric acid and mixtures thereof.

10. The composition according to claim 1, wherein the cross-linking agent is present in an amount of 0.05 wt % to 3 wt %.

11. The composition according to claim 3, wherein the amount of wax is from 1 wt % to 12 wt %, preferably 2 wt % to 10 wt %, more preferably 4 wt % to 8 wt %.

12. A method of manufacture of a biopolymer coated cellulosic article comprises the steps of: applying an aqueous biopolymer composition as according to claim 1 to a surface of a cellulosic substrate to form a coated substrate; allowing water to vaporise from the coated substrate to form a dry coated substrate; and heating the dry coated substrate to cure the composition to from a biopolymer film coated article.

13. A coated article comprising a cellulosic substrate coated with a film formed from a coating composition in accordance with claim 1.

Description

EXAMPLE 1

[0052] Batches of the polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) dispersion were manufactured using a high-pressure reactor. These were all stabilised using polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH). In each example the PBAT and PVOH were heated to 140° C. and stirred for an hour at this temperature. Water was then slowly added to the vessel over a period of 30 to 45 minutes before the batch was cooled and the pressure was released. The crosslinking agents were post-added to the cooled dispersions (<40° C.) and stirred until homogenous. The formulations were as shown in Table 1 below:

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Index of formulations, PBAT and crosslinker Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Example 4 % of % of % of % of Raw Material formulation formulation formulation formulation PBAT 40 40 40 40 PVOH 2.67 2.67 2.67 2.67 adipic acid 0 1 0 0 glyoxal 0 0 0.08 0 citric acid 0 0 0 0.5 water 57.33 56.33 57.25 56.83
Carnauba wax was added to the dispersions to further improve the water resistance of the dried films. The formulations were as shown in Table 2 below.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Index of formulations, PBAT, wax and crosslinker Example 5 Example 6 Example 7 Example 8 % of % of % of % of Raw Material formulation formulation formulation formulation PBAT 36 36 36 36 carnauba wax 4 4 4 4 PVOH 2.67 2.67 2.67 2.67 adipic acid 0 1 0 0 glyoxal 0 0 0.08 0 citric acid 0 0 0 0.5 water 57.33 56.33 57.25 56.83
The dispersions were coated on kraft paper at a dry coat weight of 10 g/m.sup.2 and dried in an oven at 130° C. for 1 minute. A Cobb test was conducted on each film for 2, 5 and 10 minutes and the blanching of the coating was observed at 2 and 10 minutes. The results are set out in Table 3 below:

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 PBAT results Cobb value (g/m.sup.2) Blanching Example 2 5 10 2 10 No. Crosslinked Crosslinker mins mins mins mins mins 1 N — 3.41 9.26 16.47 N Y 2 Y adipic acid 2.35 5.42 9.35 N N 3 Y glyoxal 2.63 7.01 9.89 N N 4 Y citric acid 3.62 9.81 16.5 N Y 5 N — 2.2 4.84 14.42 N Y 6 Y adipic acid 2.00 4.60 8.13 N N 7 Y glyoxal 1.95 5.20 8.03 N N 8 Y citric acid 2.49 6.63 12.62 N Y Y = Yes N = No

[0053] The results showed that crosslinking did not have a significant effect after a 2-minute Cobb test had been conducted. Some improvement was seen in the Cobb value when the crosslinker was adipic acid or glyoxal after a 2-minute Cobb test. This was observed in both wax and non-wax containing formulations. There was not a significant difference in the Cobb values between un-crosslinked and citric acid crosslinked PVOH dispersions. Crosslinking with citric acid may occur more slowly in the stated drying conditions than for adipic acid and glyoxal, so that the coating may require stoving for a longer period of time for an improvement to be seen. None of the films blanched after the 2-minute Cobb test. This may be due to the short exposure time of the film to water.

[0054] After conducting longer Cobb tests for 5 and 10 minutes also on kraft paper at 10 g/m.sup.2, the effects of crosslinking were more noticeable. A suitable crosslinker reduced the uptake of water and hence had a lower Cobb value than an un-crosslinked sample. The appearance of the film was unaffected by water and did not blanch. The un-crosslinked film blanched after longer Cobb tests but the degree of blanching appeared to be dependent on particle size. Un-crosslinked films may also have significantly larger Cobb values indicating that the film absorbs more water than films which have been crosslinked with adipic acid or glyoxal. The Cobb results with formulations crosslinked with citric acid were comparable to those which had not been crosslinked, further indicating that citric acid is not a sufficient crosslinker and is not effective under the drying conditions. It should be noted however that although the Cobb values are similar the blanching was not as severe.

[0055] Incorporating wax into the formulation increased the hydrophobicity of the film. This may be due to the increased water repellence. Less water may be absorbed by the film leading to a reduction in the observed Cobb value. The reduced surface tension of the film due to the addition of wax caused the water to bead on the surface. Water appeared to spread across films that do not contain wax, giving a smaller contact angle and a larger amount of water is absorbed by the film.

EXAMPLE 2

[0056] Example 1 was repeated using a range of alternative polyacids to crosslink the PVOH. These included boric acid and maleic acid. The coatings were found to blanch after a 2-minute Cobb test. These polyacids were deemed to be unsuitable. Longer Cobb tests were not conducted.

[0057] Experiment 1 was repeated using borax and ammonium zirconium carbonate (AZC) to crosslink the PVOH. The AZC crosslinked PBAT dispersion also blanched after a 2-minute Cobb test and was deemed unsuitable. Borax destabilised the dispersion and therefore films were unable to be prepared for testing.

[0058] Improved Cobb values were seen in PBAT dispersion films that are crosslinked with adipic acid and glyoxal. This became more apparent with longer Cobb tests. This showed that the improvement in water resistance of the films was due to crosslinking. The crosslinking of PVOH with adipic acid and glyoxal unexpectedly appeared to make the film resistant to blanching. This was more evident after longer exposure to water. Although the degree of blanching and the Cobb value were reduced when crosslinking the PVOH in non-wax formulations, further wax was required to improve the water resistance. Incorporating a wax into the formulation was found to increase hydrophobicity of the film and reduce the amount of water which is absorbed and therefore reducing the Cobb value.

EXAMPLE 3—EFFECT OF GLYOXAL IN DIFFERENT BIOPOLYMERS DISPERSIONS

[0059] Experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of adipic acid and glyoxal in crosslinking various PVOH stabilised biopolymer dispersions.

EXPERIMENTAL

[0060] Batches of the polybutylene succinate (PBS) and polybutylene succinate adipate (PBSA) dispersion were manufactured using a high-pressure reactor. The batches were stabilised using polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH). In each example the biopolymer and PVOH were heated to −130° C. and stirred for an hour at this temperature. Water was then slowly added to the vessel over a period of 30 to 45 minutes before the batch was cooled and the pressure was released. The crosslinkers were post-added to the cooled dispersions (<40° C.) and the resultant mixtures were stirred until homogenous. The formulations were as set out in Table 4 below:

TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Index of formulations, PBS, wax and crosslinker Example 9 Example 10 Example 11 Example 12 % of % of % of % of Raw Material formulation formulation formulation formulation PBS 40 40 36 36 PVOH 2.67 2.67 2.67 2.67 wax 0 0 4 4 glyoxal 0 0.25 0 0.25 water 57.33 57.08 57.33 57.08

TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 Index of formulations, PBSA, wax and crosslinker Example 13 Example 14 Example 15 Example 16 % of % of % of % of Raw Material formulation formulation formulation formulation PBSA 40 40 36 36 PVOH 2.67 2.67 2.67 2.67 wax 0 0 4 4 glyoxal 0 0.12 0 0.12 water 57.33 57.21 57.33 57.21
The dispersions were then coated on kraft paper at a dry coat weight of 10 g/m.sup.2 and dried in an oven at 130° C. for 1 minute. A Cobb test was conducted on each film for 2, 5 and 10 minutes and the blanching observed at 2 and 5 minutes. The results are set out in Table

TABLE-US-00006 TABLE 6 Results PBS, PBSA Cobb value (g/m.sup.2) Blanching Example 2 5 10 2 10 No. Crosslinked Wax mins mins mins mins mins  9 N N 3.11 6.20 7.33 N Y 10 Y N 2.46 4.71 8.47 N N 11 N Y 2.09 5.34 7.01 N Y 12 Y Y 2.14 4.08 6.51 N N 13 N N 2.82 14.08 15.60 Y Y 14 Y N 2.95 10.56 14.19 N N 15 N Y 3.43 12.85 14.82 Y Y 16 Y Y 2.95 9.29 12.98 N N Y = Yes N = No

[0061] No significant differences between the Cobb values of crosslinked and un-crosslinked films after a 2-minute Cobb test were observed. No blanching was observed. This may be due to the short exposure time of the film to the water. The effect of crosslinking with glyoxal was more apparent after longer Cobb tests. Crosslinking PVOH in PBS dispersions with glyoxal improved the Cobb value after longer Cobb tests had been conducted. There was no sign of blanching of films which had been crosslinked. This result was consistent on films both with and without wax.

[0062] PBSA naturally has poorer water resistance than PBS and PBAT and this may have resulted in the larger Cobb values observed as more water is absorbed by the film. This was more noticeable after longer Cobb tests have been conducted. Crosslinking the PVOH with glyoxal in PBSA dispersions prevented blanching and improved the water resistance of the film and so improved the Cobb value. As seen previously, incorporating a wax into the formulation reduces the surface tension of the film creating a more hydrophobic coating causing water to bead on the film. Films of PBSA dispersions not containing wax have a higher surface tension in comparison and the water therefore spreads across the film after a Cobb test.

[0063] Crosslinking the PVOH in PBS and PBSA dispersions with glyoxal improved the Cobb results and prevents blanching. The benefits of crosslinking were more noticeable after longer Cobb tests had been conducted. Blanching was also prevented, and the films remained intact.

EXAMPLE 4—OPTIMISING THE LEVEL OF CROSSLINKER

[0064] An experiment was carried out to determine an optimal amount of adipic acid crosslinker in PVOH stabilised polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) dispersions. Batches of the polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) dispersion were manufactured using a high-pressure reactor. These were stabilised using polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH). In each example the PBAT and PVOH were heated to 140° C. and stirred for an hour at this temperature. Water was then slowly added to the vessel over a period of 30 to 45 minutes before the batch was cooled and the pressure was released. The crosslinking agents were post-added at varying levels to the cooled dispersions (<40° C.) and stirred until homogenous. The formulations are as set out in Table 7 below:

TABLE-US-00007 TABLE 7 Index of formulations, PRAT, wax and varying crosslinker level Example Example Example Example Example Example 17 18 19 20 21 22 % of % of % of % of % of % of Raw formu- formu- formu- formu- formu- formu- Material lation lation lation lation lation lation PBAT 36 36 36 36 36 36 PVOH 2.67 2.67 2.67 2.67 2.67 2.67 carnauba 4 4 4 4 4 4 wax adipic acid 0 0.1 0.5 0.75 1 1.5 water 57.33 57.23 56.83 56.58 56.33 55.83

[0065] The dispersions were then coated on kraft paper at a dry coat weight of 10 g/m.sup.2 and dried in an oven at 130° C. for 1 minute. A Cobb test was conducted on each film for 2, 5 and 10 minutes and the degree of blanching was observed after 2 and 5 minutes. The results are shown in Table 8 below.

TABLE-US-00008 TABLE 8 Results using PBAT at varying crosslinker levels Cobb value (g/m.sup.2) Blanching Example 2 5 10 2 5 No. Crosslinked Wax mins mins mins mins mins 17 Y Y 3.41 9.26 16.47 N y 18 Y Y 3.4 6.06 14.82 Y Y 19 Y Y 2.95 7.90 12.98 Y Y 20 Y Y 2.36 7.05 10.59 N N 21 Y Y 2.00 4.60 8.13 N N 22 Y Y 2.39 6.80 11.78 N N

[0066] Having too much or too little crosslinker may also affect the film properties. For example, too little crosslinker may reduce the amount of blanching which occurs but may not totally prevent it from occurring. For example, crosslinking the PBAT dispersion with 0.1% adipic acid results in a similar Cobb value to un-crosslinked PBAT after a 2-minute Cobb test. However, there appeared to be a reduction in Cobb value after longer Cobb tests had taken place. It was noted however that the films had blanched. This amount of cross-linker had appeared to improve the Cobb value however as the film had been affected. It is possible some of the film had been removed producing a lower Cobb value. An amount of 0.1% adipic acid may be unsuitable to maintain film properties after contact with water. Increasing the amount of adipic acid to 0.5% prevented blanching from occurring after two- and five-minute Cobb tests but was seen after a 10-minute Cobb test.

[0067] Increasing the amount of adipic acid to 1% reduced the Cobb value by the greatest amount and therefore appeared to be an optimum amount of this crosslinker.

[0068] Using 1.5% adipic acid to crosslink the PVOH may not be suitable because as shown in the Table, although blanching was prevented the Cobb value was not further reduced. It is possible that there was free unreacted adipic acid in the film as insufficient PVOH was available to be crosslinked. Therefore, an excess of adipic acid may have been present.

EXAMPLE 5—CROSSLINKING AN AQUEOUS PBAT DISPERSION

[0069] A PBAT dispersion which is stabilised with PVOH was manufactured in a high pressure reactor. The raw materials and initial water were placed in the vessel which was then sealed and heated to 140° C. At this temperature pressure built up in the vessel and reached approx. 2.6 bar. When the mix has reached the process temperature (140° C.) it was stirred for 1 hour at 300 rpm. Water was added in parts at different flow rates to create the particle size. Hot water 1 was added over 18 mins. Hot water 2 was added over 10 mins. The stirrer speed was then reduced, and the mixture was allowed to cool in a water bath. When the temperature was below 40° C. the dispersion was taken out of the vessel and filtered through a 150 μm sock. The dispersion was thickened using a 2% xanthan gum solution. The formulation is shown in Table 9 below:

TABLE-US-00009 TABLE 9 Raw Material % PBAT 36 PVOH 2.67 antioxidant 0.5 adipic acid 1 carnauba wax 4 initial water 7.5 hot water 1 12 hot water 2 36.093 xanthan gum 0.087 acticide FTW2 0.1 acticide mv 0.05
Once the dispersion has been thickened and the solids were within specification the dispersion was then re-filtered through a 50 μm sock and was quality control (QC) tested. The parameters for the QC testing are shown in Table 10 below:

TABLE-US-00010 TABLE 10 Parameter Specification Actual total solids (%) 42-44 43.5 viscosity (cP) 200-600 410 pH 3-5 3.24 particle size (μm) d50 1.366 d95 4.102 specific gravity (g/cm.sup.3) 1.0-1.1 1.065

[0070] The dispersion was coated on kraft paper at 10 g/m.sup.2 and dried in an oven for 1 min at 130° C. A smooth, glossy film was formed. The films were Cobb tested for 2, 5 and 10 minutes and then inspected for any film defects and/or blanching. As expected, the Cobb value increased as the length of time exposed to water was increased. As this PBAT dispersion contained wax the water beads on the surface after the Cobb test attributed to the hydrophobic effects of the film. The film remained intact and there was no sign of blanching even after a 10-minute Cobb test had taken place.

[0071] The film also heat sealed at 120° C. A-A and A-B at 2 bar pressure for a seal time of 1 second. When sealed at these parameters, and subsequently pulled apart using a tensiometer, substrate failure was observed. A seal was not formed at lower seal temperatures at the same pressure. Using the Tappi T559 grease resistance test the film had a kit test rating of 5. This demonstrated that the film had relatively good grease resistance.

EXAMPLE 6—CROSSLINKING AN AQUEOUS PBS DISPERSION

[0072] A PBS dispersion which was stabilised with PVOH was manufactured in the high pressure reactor. All of the raw materials and initial water were placed in the vessel which was then sealed and heated to 130° C. At this temperature pressure built up in the vessel and was approximately 1.8 bar. When the mix had reached the process temperature (130° C.) it was stirred for 1 hour at 300 RPM. Water was added in parts at different flow rates to create the desired particle size. Hot water batch 1 was added over 15 mins and hot water batch 2 was added over 10 mins. The stirrer speed was then reduced, and the mixture was allowed to cool in a water bath. When below 40° C. the dispersion was taken out of the vessel and filtered through a 150 μm sock. The formulation is shown in Table 11 below:

TABLE-US-00011 TABLE 11 Raw Material % PBS 36 PVOH 2.67 antioxidant 0.5 maleic acid 1 carnauba wax 4 initial water 9.0 hot water 1 10 hot water 2 36.83 acticide FTW2 0.1 acticide mv 0.05

[0073] The PBS dispersion did not require thickening with xanthan gum as it was viscous. Once solids are within specification the dispersion was filtered through a 50 μm sock and QC tested. The QC test parameters are shown in Table 12 below:

TABLE-US-00012 TABLE 12 Parameter Specification Actual total solids (%) 42-44 43.35 viscosity (cP) 200-600 580 pH 5-7 5.20 particle size (μm) d50 1.882 d95 6.837 specific gravity (g/cm.sup.3) 1.0-1.1 1.097

[0074] The dispersion was coated on kraft paper at 10 g/m.sup.2 and was dried in an oven for 1 min at 130° C. A smooth, glossy film was formed. The films were Cobb tested for 2, 5 and 10 minutes and then inspected for any film defects and/or blanching. As this film also contained wax the water formed beads on the film surface after the Cobb test. As expected, the Cobb value increased as the length of time exposed to water was increased. The film remained intact and there was no sign of blanching after each Cobb test has taken place.

[0075] The PBS film was heat sealed at 120° C. A-A and A-B at 2 bar pressure for a seal time of 1 second. When sealed at these parameters and subsequently pulled apart using a tensiometer substrate failure was observed. A seal was not formed at lower seal temperatures at the same pressure. Using the Tappi T559 grease resistance test the film has a kit test rating of 12 indicating that the PBS film has extremely good grease resistance properties. The results are further demonstrated in the table on page 19.

EXAMPLE 7—CROSSLINKING AN AQUEOUS PBSA DISPERSION

[0076] A PBSA dispersion which was stabilised with PVOH was manufactured in a high pressure reactor. All of the raw materials and initial water were placed in the vessel which was then sealed and heated to 115° C. At this temperature pressure built up in the vessel and was approx. 0.6 bar. When the mixture had reached the process temperature (115° C.) it was stirred for 1 hour at 300 RPM. Water was added in parts at different flow rates to create the particle size. Hot water batch 1 was added over 15 mins and hot water batch 2 is added over 10 mins.

[0077] The stirrer speed was then reduced, and the mixture was allowed to cool in a water bath. When below 40° C. the dispersion is taken out of the vessel and filtered through a 150 μm sock. The dispersion s thickened using a 2% solution of xanthan gum. The formulation is shown in Table 13 below:

TABLE-US-00013 TABLE 13 Raw Material % PBSA 36 PVOH 2.67 antioxidant 0.5 adipic acid 1 carnauba wax 4 initial water 7.5 hot water 1 10 hot water 2 38.24 xanthan gum 0.087 acticide FTW2 0.1 acticide mv 0.05
Once the dispersion has been thickened and the solids are within specification the dispersion was re-filtered through a 50 μm sock and was QC tested. The parameters for the QC testing are shown in Table 14 below:

TABLE-US-00014 TABLE 14 Parameter Specification Actual total solids (%) 42-44 42.95 viscosity (cP) 200-600 390 pH 5-7 4.95 particle size (μm) d50 1.604 d95 5.190 specific gravity (g/cm.sup.3) 1.0-1.1 1.071
The dispersion was coated on kraft paper at 10 g/m.sup.2 and dried in an oven for 1 min at 110° C. A smooth, glossy film was formed. The films were Cobb tested for 2, 5 and 10 minutes and then inspected for any film defects and/or blanching. As this film also contained wax the water formed beads on the film surface after the Cobb test. As expected, the Cobb value increased as the length of time exposed to water is increased. The film remained intact and there was no sign of blanching after each Cobb test has taken place. The results are shown in Table 15 below:

TABLE-US-00015 TABLE 15 Heat seal Grease Cobb value (g/m.sup.2) MVTR temp (° C.) resist- Ex. 2 5 10 Blan- (g/m.sup.2 .Math. mode of ance No. min min min ching day) A-A A-B failure kit test 5 2.00 4.60  8.13 N 119.20 120 120 substrate 5 6 2.14 4.71  6.51 N 221.31 120 120 substrate 12 7 2.95 9.29 12.98 N 272.88 105 105 substrate 4

[0078] The PBSA film heat sealed at 105° C. A-A and A-B. The mode of failure was substrate failure as the substrate tears when pulled apart on the tensiometer. Temperatures sealed below this do not form a seal at this pressure. Additionally, using the Tappi T559 grease resistance test the film had a kit test rating of 4. PBSA was the least effective film for grease resistance out of all the biopolymers tested.

EXAMPLE 8—CROSSLINKING POLYCAPROLACTONE AND POLYBUTYLENE SUCCINATE BLENDS

[0079] The PCL and PBS blends were manufactured using a high-pressure reactor (HPR). These were all stabilised using PVOH. The PCL, PBS and PVOH were all heated to 130° C. and stirred for one hour maintaining this temperature. Water was then slowly added to the vessel over a period of 30 to 45 minutes before the batch was cooled and the pressure was released. The dispersion was tested with and without crosslinker. The crosslinker was post-added to the dispersion and stirred until homogenous. The formulations are set out in Table 16 below:

TABLE-US-00016 TABLE 16 Index of PCL/PBS formulations with and without crosslinker Example 1 Example 2 Raw Material % of formulation % of formulation PBS (FZ71PM) 18 18 PCL (CAPA 6250) 18 18 Antioxidant 0.5 0.5 Wax 4 4 Maleic anhydride 0 1 (Crosslinker) PVOH 2.67 2.67 Water 56.83 55.83

TABLE-US-00017 TABLE 17 Summary of PBS/PCL film properties Film properties Cobb value (g/m.sup.2) MVTR MFFT 2 5 10 Heat seal Kit value Example (° C.) mins mins mins temp (° C.) value (g/m.sup.2 .Math. day) 6 99-104 1.80 4.17 8.62 120 12 120.50 7 99-104 1.37 3.73 6.76 120 12 63.53

[0080] All films were single coated at 10 g/m.sup.2 on Sappi paper and film formed in an oven at 130° C. for 1 minute. MVTR was tested on double coated films.

[0081] Crosslinking the PVOH in the PBS/PCL blend improved the water resistance of the film. This was shown in the reduced Cobb values seen at two, five and ten minutes. There were also no signs of blanching on the crosslinked film. Blanching had been seen on un-crosslinked films particularly when longer Cobb tests had been conducted. In addition to the reduction of the Cobb values, the use of crosslinker in the PBS/PCL film almost halved the MVTR value from 120.5 to 63.53 g/m.sup.2.Math.day. Other film properties such as grease resistance are not affected as the kit value of the blend is already at a maximum value of 12 and therefore could not be improved further.

EXAMPLE 9—CROSSLINKING POLYCAPROLACTONE AND POLYBUTYLENE SUCCINATE BLENDS

[0082] A PBS and PCL blend dispersion which is stabilised with PVOH was manufactured in the HPR. All of the raw materials and initial water were placed in the vessel which was then sealed and heated to 130° C. At this temperature pressure built up in the vessel and was approx. 0.6 bar. When the mix reached the process temperature (130° C.) it was stirred for 1 hour at 300 RPM. Water was added in parts at different flow rates to create the particle size. Hot water 1 was added over 15 mins and hot water 2 was added over 10 mins. The stirrer speed was then reduced, and the mixture was allowed to cool in a water bath. When below 40° C. the dispersion was taken out of the vessel and filtered through a 150 μm filter. The dispersion was thickened using a 2% solution of xanthan gum. The formulation is shown in Table 18 below:

TABLE-US-00018 TABLE 18 Index of PCL/PBS formulations with and without crosslinker Example 1 Example 2 Raw Material % of formulation % of formulation PBS 18 18 PCL 18 18 PVOH 2.67 2.67 Antioxidant 0.5 0.5 Adipic acid 1 0 Wax 4 4 Initial water 9 9 Hot water 1 10 10 Hot water 2 25 25 Hot water 3 13.24 12.59 Xanthan gum 0.087 0.087 Acticide FTW2 0.1 0.1 Acticide mv 0.05 0.05
Once the dispersion had been thickened and the solids were within specification the dispersion was then re-filtered through a 50 μm sock and was QC tested. The parameters for the QC testing are shown in Table 19 below:

TABLE-US-00019 TABLE 19 Parameter Specification Total solids (%) 42-44 Viscosity (cP) 200-600 pH 5-7 particle size (μm) d50 d95 specific gravity (g/cm.sup.3) 1.0-1.1

TABLE-US-00020 TABLE 20 Summary of PBS/PCL film properties Film properties Cobb value (g/m.sup.2) MFFT 2 5 10 Heat seal Kit MVTR value Example (° C.) mins mins mins temp (° C.) value (g/m.sup.2 .Math. day) 1 99-104 1.80 4.17 8.62 120 12 120.50 2 99-104 1.37 3.73 6.76 120 12  63.53
Table 20: All films were single coated at 10 gsm on Sappi paper and film formed in an oven at 130° C. for 1 minute. MVTR was tested on double coated films.

[0083] Crosslinking the PVOH in the PBS/PCL blend improved the water resistance of the film. This was shown in the reduced Cobb values seen at two, five and ten minutes. There were also no signs of blanching on the crosslinked film. Blanching had been seen on un-crosslinked films particularly when longer Cobb tests had been conducted. In addition to the reduction of the Cobb values, the use of crosslinker in the PBS/PCL film almost halved the MVTR value from 120.5 to 63.53 g/m.sup.2.Math.day. Other film properties such as grease resistance were not affected as the kit value of the blend was already at a maximum value of 12 and therefore could not be improved further.

EXAMPLE 10—CROSSLINKING A POLYBUTYLENE SUCCINATE ADIPATE AND POLYBUTYLENE SUCCINATE BIOPOLYMER BLENDS

[0084] A PBSA and PBS blend dispersion which is stabilised with PVOH was manufactured in the HPR. All of the raw materials and initial water were placed in the vessel which was then sealed and heated to 130° C. At this temperature pressure built up in the vessel and was approx. 0.6 bar. When the mixture had reached the process temperature (130° C.) it was stirred for 1 hour at 300 RPM. Water was added in parts at different flow rates to create the particle size. Hot water 1 was added over 15 mins and hot water 2 was added over 10 mins. The stirrer speed was then reduced, and the mixture was allowed to cool in a water bath. When below 40° C. the dispersion was taken out of the vessel and filtered through a 150 μm filter. The dispersion was thickened using a 2% solution of xanthan gum. The formulation is shown in Table 21 below:

TABLE-US-00021 TABLE 21 Index of PBSA/PBS formulations with and without crosslinker Example 3 Example 4 Raw Material % of formulation % of formulation PBSA 27 27 PBS 9 9 PVOH 2.67 2.67 Antioxidant 0.5 0.5 Adipic acid 1 0 Wax 4 4 Initial water 9 9 Hot water 1 10 10 Hot water 2 25 25 Hot water 3 13.24 12.59 Xanthan gum 0.087 0.087 Acticide FTW2 0.1 0.1 Acticide mv 0.05 0.05
Once the dispersion had been thickened and the solids were within specification the dispersion was then re-filtered through a 50 μm sock and was QC tested. The parameters for the QC testing are shown in Table 22 below:

TABLE-US-00022 TABLE 22 Parameter Specification Total solids (%) 42-44 Viscosity (cP) 200-600 pH 5-7 particle size (μm) d50 d95 specific gravity (g/cm.sup.3) 1.0-1.1
The dispersion was single coated on kraft paper at 10 g/m.sup.2 and dried in an oven for 1 min at 130° C. A smooth, glossy film was formed. Cobb tests were performed on the film to determine the water barrier properties of the film. The film was also inspected for any film defects and/or blanching after water exposure. As with the other examples, this formulation also contained wax therefore it was expected that water formed beads upon the surface. The barrier properties of the film are shown in Table 23 below:

TABLE-US-00023 TABLE 23 Film properties Cobb value (g/m.sup.2) MFFT 2 5 10 Heat seal Kit MVTR value Example (° C.) mins mins mins temp (° C.) value (g/m.sup.2 .Math. day) 3 80-85 1.70 4.42  8.62 120 12 220 4 80-85 2.21 6.51 10.19 120 12 248

Test Methods

[0085] Cobb Value—The Cobb value is defined as the amount of water absorbed in a specific time by 1 square meter of paper under 1 cm of water measured in g/m.sup.2. The test is in accordance with Tappi T 441. The specimen is weighed to the nearest 0.01 g and placed into the specimen holder. 100 cm.sup.3 of demineralised water is poured into the specimen holder and the timer is started. Approximately ten seconds before the end of the test the water is poured out and the substrate is dried by placing blotting paper on top of the specimen and rolling with a hand roller. The specimen is then reweighed, and the Cobb value calculated. The specified times used in this investigation are 2, 5 and 10 minutes.

[0086] Blanching—This defines a whitened area of the film after exposure to water. An internal test which is determined by eye.

[0087] Grease resistance kit test—The test is in accordance with Tappi T559. The kit number is assigned when the coating has been visually affected by the mixture.