CONFINEMENTS OF COMPOSITE MATERIALS INCLUDING AFFINITY OF SUBSTANCES

Abstract

The present invention discloses collection confinements adapted for collection and preservation of edible substances during a minimal period of time required for conservation thereof, in particular aromatic edible substances, such as for example substances derived or associated with coffee or containing caffeine, whereby said confinements are produced in composite materials that provide barrier to the transfer of liquids and gases and present compositions that include synthetic polymers and/or bio-polymers, as well as further vegetal fibre associated with at least one sub-product from processing of the edible vegetal having affinity with the one being collected in said confinement, such as for example fibre of coffee silverscreen resulting from roasting of coffee beans, thereby providing a new economic utilization of such sub-products, and confinements presenting high bio-degradation degree once disposed thereof.

Claims

1. A confinement for collection of edible substances, characterized in that the collection confinement (1) provides envelope with properties of barrier to liquids, to a collection volume for an edible substance associated with coffee or including caffeine, with a specific weight of less than 1.100 kg/m.sup.3, and in that the collection confinement (1) is produced in a composite substance presenting a thermoplastic matrix that includes natural fibres from sub-products resulting from processing of at least one of: green coffee beans and a derivate thereof.

2. The confinement according to claim 1, characterized in that the collection confinement (1) presents a rigid or semi-rigid envelope with barrier properties to at least one of transmission of ultraviolet radiation and transfer of oxygen, and is produced in at least most part, preferentially entirely, in a composite substance that includes: at least one of: polymers and bio-polymers; natural fibres from a sub-product of processing of green coffee beans, preferentially coffee silverscreen resulting from roasting of green coffee beans, whereby it is preferred when the collection confinement (1) is produced in a substance that presents only substance of vegetal origin, including fibres, and associated with sub-products from processing of coffee beans.

3. The confinement according to claims 1, characterized in that the collection confinement (1) is produced in a composite substance presenting a thermoplastic matrix that includes coffee silverscreen in at least part of mass fraction, preferentially at least most part of mass fraction, preferentially at least 60% of mass fraction of said composite substance, and in that the collection confinement (1) is produced in a composite substance that at least includes coffee silverscreen and further at least one from the list of natural fibres associated with at least one of: processing of cinnamon, such as fibre of cinnamon husk; processing of locust bean, such as fibre of locust bean husk; processing of rice, such as fibre of rice husk; whereby the composite substance presents values of parameters of barrier to ultraviolet radiation transmission and to fluid transfer that are preferentially in the same order of, at most only with one order of magnitude of difference, as the corresponding values that are specific of the polymers present in the composition thereof.

4. The confinement according to claim 1, characterized in that the collection confinement (1) is produced in a composite substance with a polymeric matrix that includes natural fibres of vegetal sub-products, and at least one of the following synthetic polymers: a polyethylene from the list that includes high density polyethylenes and low density polyethylenes (LDPE), poly-glycolide (PGA); polycaprolactone (PCL); poly u-valerolactone (PVL); thermoplastic amide (TPS); ethylene copolymer and vinyl alcohol (EVOH); polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), whereby it is preferred when the bio-polymeric matrix does not include poly-lactic acid (PLA).

5. The confinement according to claim 1, characterized in that the collection confinement (1) is produced in a composite substance with bio-polymeric substance that groups natural fibres of vegetal sub-products, preferentially at least including the fibre of coffee silverscreeen, and BioPBS (poly-butylene succinate), whereby it is preferred when the bio-polymeric matrix does not include poly-lactic acid (PLA) PLA.

6. The confinement according to claim 1, characterized in that the collection confinement (1) provides at least one of: a flexible materially continuous envelope, including of the bag type, cartridge, handbag or similar; a semi-rigid or rigid materially continuous envelope, including of the type pod, capsule or similar, and in that at least part of the collection confinement (1) in direct contact with the edible substance inside thereof, is provided in a substance that includes at least coffee silverscreen or other substance of sub-product resulting from processing of green coffee beans or derivate thereof.

7. The confinement according to claim 1, characterized in that the collection confinement (1) is adapted so that can collect a previously defined volume of a solid medium, including non-granulated, granulated, in powder, of a pasty medium or of a liquid medium, and in that the collection confinement (1) is adapted so that can be functionally operated in a device for preparing an edible product, including a beverage with a caffeine content, such as an aromatic beverage, a soft drink or similar.

8. The confinement according to claim 1, characterized in that the collection confinement (1) is produced in a composite substance with a mass ratio of fibre of coffee silverscreen of more than 10%, preferentially more than 20%, whereby it is preferred when, in the case of including synthetic polymers, the mass ratio of fibre of coffee silverscreen is comprised between 10% and 60%, preferentially between 10% and 40%, and in the case of including bio-polymers, the mass ratio of fibre of coffee silverscreen is comprised between 10% and 60%, preferentially between 20% and 40%.

9. The confinement according to claim 1, characterized in that the collection confinement (1) is produced in a composite substance that presents a mass ratio of bio-polymers of at least 40%, preferentially of at least 60%, whereby the mass ratio of bio-polymers can be comprised between 40 and 90%, preferentially between 50 and 80%, and in that the collection confinement (1) is produced in a composite substance that includes a compatibilizing agent, whereby the compatibilizing agent is preferentially a synthetic polymer, for example polyethylene, grafted with maleic anhydride (PE-co-MA), or a bio-polymer, for example BioBPS, grafted with maleic anhydride.

10. The confinement according to claim 1, characterized in that the collection confinement (1) is produced in a composite substance that presents a mass ratio of compatibilizing agents of at most 30%, preferentially at most 20%, whereby the mass ratio of compatibilizing agents can be comprised between 5 and 30%, preferentially between 7 and 20%.

11. The confinement according to claim 1, characterized in that the collection confinement (1) is produced in a composite substance that includes synthetic polymer and fibre of coffee silverscreen presents a water vapour transfer rate (WVTR) of less than 20 g/m.sup.2.day, preferentially less than 10 g/m.sup.2.Math.day, particularly preferentially less than 5 g/m.sup.2.day, at ambient conditions of 38° C., 90% RH for film of 1 millimetre, and in that the collection confinement (1) is produced in a composite substance that includes synthetic polymer and fibre of coffee silverscreen presents and oxygen transfer rate (OTR) of less than 500 cm.sup.3/m.sup.2.Math.day, preferentially less than 250 cm.sup.3/m.sup.2.Math.day, particularly preferentially less than 150 cm.sup.3/m.sup.2.Math.day, at ambient conditions of 38° C., 90% RH for film of 1 millimetre, and in that the collection confinement (1) is produced in a composite substance that includes synthetic polymer and fibre of coffee silverscreen presents a light transmission of less than 20%, preferentially of less than 10%.

12. The confinement according to claim 1, characterized in that the collection confinement (1) is produced in a composite substance that presents at least one of: a density of less than 1.3 kg/m.sup.3, preferentially less than 1.1 kg/m.sup.3; a fluidity index of at least 1.5 g/ 10 min, at 190° C., preferentially of at least 3.0 g/10 min, at 190° C., a fusion temperature of less than 200° C., preferentially less than 170° C., particularly preferentially less than 150° C.

13. A method of using a collection confinement, comprising using a sub-product of processing of coffee beans, preferentially including at least of coffee silverscreen that results after drying and/or roasting of coffee beans, for the production of said collection confinement.

14. The method-according to claim 13, further comprising using the collection confinement for collecting and distributing edible substances including of a coffee derivate, or including caffeine or similar substance.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising using the collection confinement for operation of apparatus for preparation of edible products, including of beverages, such as for example coffee based beverages or form a derivate thereof.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0034] The invention shall be hereinafter explained in greater detail based upon preferred embodiments and the attached Figures.

[0035] The Figures show:

[0036] FIG. 1: graphic of viscosity of a first embodiment of a composite substance used in a collection confinement (1) according to the present invention;

[0037] FIG. 2: graphic of viscosity of a second embodiment of a composite substance used in a collection confinement (1) according to the present invention;

[0038] FIG. 3: graphic of thermal behaviour of coffee silverscreen, obtained after roasting of coffee beans;

[0039] FIG. 4: graphic comparing the first and second embodiments according to the present invention;

[0040] FIG. 5: graphic of spectrometry comparing the first and second embodiments according to the present invention;

[0041] FIG. 6: volumetric view of a first embodiment of collection confinement (1) according to the present invention;

[0042] FIG. 7: volumetric view of a second embodiment of collection confinement (1) according to the present invention;

[0043] FIG. 8: side-cut view of a third embodiment of collection confinement (1) according to the present invention;

[0044] FIG. 9: side-cut view of a fourth embodiment of collection confinement (1) according to the present invention;

[0045] FIG. 10: side-cut view of a fifth embodiment of collection confinement (1) according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0046] The present invention discloses collection confinements (1) produced in composite substances adapted for production of collection objects, in particular of the type packages or parts thereof, and drinking recipients or parts thereof.

[0047] The collection confinements (1) can provide collection of a previously defined quantity of an edible substance associated with coffee or containing caffeine, such as for example a beverage or a substance precursor of a beverage.

[0048] The collection confinements (1) can advantageously provide protection of perishable edible substance along of a so-called shelve-life or period of useful life, i.e. suffering degradation of their physical-chemical properties, when exposed to ambient water vapour and oxygen.

[0049] Said perishable substances can be edible substances, in general, requiring a substantial protection of water vapour barrier, and can further be edible substances with aromatic profile, in particular furthermore requiring a protection of oxygen barrier.

[0050] Said aromatic edible substances can be precursor substances of aromatic beverages, such as for example roast and ground coffee beans, soluble coffee, tea, chocolate, lyophilized foods and other similar substances.

[0051] One example of the use of composite substances disclosed by the present invention is the case of packages of the type capsules, pods and similar, and with a semi-rigid, rigid or film-like dimensional form.

[0052] The composite substances disclosed by the present invention can be used in the mould injection of objects, in similar manner to the mould injection of composite substances including synthetic polymers and/or bio-polymers.

[0053] The present invention shall be hereinafter described based upon embodiments of confinements (1) associated with the use of a particular sub-product resulting from the processing of green coffee beans by roasting: the coffee silverscreen.

[0054] In this sense, there are described examples of completely or substantially biodegradable composite materials, reinforced with coffee silverscreen resulting from the roasting processing of coffee beans.

[0055] In particular, two mixtures of BioPBS with coffee silverscreen have been tested.

[0056] In the case of a first embodiment of the composite substance according to the present invention, a thermoplastic matrix including bio-polymer (BioPBS) with coffee silverscreen present in a mass fraction of 10.7% has been tested.

[0057] In the case of a second embodiment of the composite substance, a thermoplastic matrix has been tested that has a mass fraction 10.7% of fibre of coffee silverscreen, but that further includes the addition of a compatibilizing polymer to increase the interfacial adhesion between the PBS and the fibres of coffee silverscreen. The selected polymer was EVA-co-MA (Fusabond C 190) because contains the required functional group (maleic anhydride) grafted in the main structure of the EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) and because presents a fusion temperature (71° C.) that is appropriate to the process. The EVA-co-MA has been added in a mass fraction of 14.9%. Experimentally, is has been established that the BioPBS and the EVA-co-MA were indeed mixable, which reinforced the justification for using this additive. The main disadvantage of this polymer is being of non-biodegradable petrochemical origin.

[0058] The mixtures of BioPBS with coffee silverscreen have been made at a 140° C., so as to apply temperatures reasonably higher than the fusion temperature of the PBS (115° C.) and testing conditions that are closer to those used in the industry.

[0059] In both cases, the viscosity of the mixtures has kept stable for successive additions of constant fractions of coffee silverscreen, at a temperature of 140° C. the viscosity of the first embodiment (see FIG. 1) is inferior to the viscosity of the second embodiment (see FIG. 2), for the same concentration of fibres of coffee silverscreen, because the EVA-co-MA additive has a relatively low fluidity index.

[0060] The thermal behaviour of the coffee silverscreen, resulting from the roasting process of coffee beans da, is represented in FIG. 3. The coffee silverscreen in this case contains 10% in weight of water and its thermal degradation occurs at about 200-400° C. The residue at 600° C. corresponds to 30% in weight. The test has been carried out under inert atmosphere.

[0061] The results of the characterization of the thermal behaviour compare the BioPBS polymer with the first embodiment (see FIG. 4). The polymer alone, BioPBS, presents a degradation profile in a single step (340-440° C.) and the residue at 600° C. is negligible.

[0062] The first embodiment of composite including fibre of coffee silverscreen has the fusion peak at 122° C. The results also show that a fraction of about 10% in mass of ECO 10 starts degrading at temperatures superior to 200° C. (220-360° C.), whereby the remaining 90% (m/m) are degraded up to 420° C. At 600° C., the sample consists in a carboniferous residue that corresponds to about 7% (m/m) of the initial sample. The mass low of 10% corresponds to the mass content in fibres.

[0063] This embodiment of composite substance can thus present a fluidity index of at least 1.5 g/10 min at 190° C., preferentially of at least 3.0 g/10 min at 190° C.

[0064] Moreover, it has been shown as particularly advantageous the fact that these composite substances according to the present invention present a fusion temperature smaller than 200° C., preferentially smaller than 170° C., particularly preferentially smaller than 150° C.

[0065] Moreover, in particular in what refers to the use of these substances for production of confinements, or other type of objects, by means of injection in mould or coating applications of other materials, the composite substances according to the present invention can present the following intervals of characteristic operational parameters: [0066] injection pressure between 30 and 150 bar, preferentially between 50 and 100 bar, [0067] compaction pressure between 5 and 30 bar, preferentially between 10 and 20 bar.

[0068] The spectrometry by means of FTIR (“Fourier-transform Infrared spectroscopy”) of two composite material relating to the first and second embodiments is represented in FIG. 5. As can be observed, it is not possible to distinguish the contribution of the compatibilizing agent, in this case the EVA-co-MA, in the spectrum of the second embodiment (referred as “2nd Embodiment”).

[0069] The macroscopic aspect of the composite materials, at the exit of the mixer, is very homogeneous. The resistance to manual fracture, tested in empirical manner, is high for the thickness and forces applied. The compatibilizing agent should increase the adhesion between the fibres and the matrix, increasing the mechanical resistance of the composite and decreasing the permeability of the material by fluids, that is, the barrier to the fluid transmission, including to gases (oxygen, water vapour).

[0070] The composite substance according to the present invention can include synthetic polymer and fibre of coffee silverscreen so that presents a water vapour transfer rate (WVTR) of less than 20 g/m.sup.2.Math.day, preferentially of less than 10 g/m.sup.2.Math.day, particularly preferentially of less than 5 g/m.sup.2.Math.day, at ambient conditions of 38° C., 90% RH for film of 1 millimetre.

[0071] The composite substance according to present invention can include synthetic polymer and fibre of coffee silverscreen and present an oxygen transfer rate (OTR) of less than 500 cm.sup.3/m.sup.2.Math.day, preferentially of less than 250 cm.sup.3/m.sup.2.Math.day, particularly preferentially of less than 150 cm.sup.3/m.sup.2.Math.day, at ambient conditions of 38° C., 90% RH for film of 1 millimetre, thereby providing barrier to water vapour and oxygen transfer. These properties are relevant for the production of recipients of collection of perishable substances that degrade as a result of exposure to ambient atmosphere.

[0072] The composite substance according to the present invention can include synthetic polymer and fibre of coffee silverscreen so that presents a negligible light transmission.

[0073] The thermoplastic matrix of the composite substances according to the present invention can, therefore, present physical characteristics, including properties of barrier to the transmission of ultraviolet radiation and to the transfer of fluids, in the same order of magnitude, at most with only one order of magnitude of difference, as the corresponding specific values of the polymers present in the composition thereof.

[0074] The scope of the present invention is naturally not limited by the examples above.

[0075] As shall be promptly understood by the reader, it is further possible to use fibres of other sub-products of processing of vegetal species, such as for example: locust bean husk, cinnamon husk and rice husk.

[0076] Moreover, these substances can be combined not only with polymers of vegetal origin, but also as polymers of synthetic and fossil origin.

[0077] The collection confinement (1) according to the present invention can be adapted so that can collect a previously defined volume of a solid medium, including non-granulated, granulated, such as for example roast and ground coffee beans, in powder, such as for example soluble coffee powder, of a pasty medium or of a liquid medium, such as for example coffee concentrate.

[0078] The collection confinement (1) can be adapted so that can be functionally operated in a device for preparing an edible product, including a beverage with caffeine content, such as an aromatic beverage, a soft drink or similar.

[0079] As represented in FIGS. 6 and 7, the collection confinement (1) can present a part that configures at least most part of the envelope of a collection volume, including of circular or trapezoidal cross-section, and that can configure an opening portion (10) adapted so that can be closed and open by means of a removable element. In the case of another embodiment (FIG. 7), the collection confinement (1) can be configured as the entirety of the envelope of a collection volume, whereby it is further adapted so that an opening portion (10) can be provided on a wall thereof, for example by means of a previously weakened material zone. Moreover, the collection confinement (1) can be adapted for collection of a weight smaller than 5 kg, preferentially smaller than 1 kg.

[0080] As represented in FIG. 8, the collection confinement (1) can present a first part (11) and a second part (12), for example a container part and a lid part, adapted so that can be retained to each other a thereby confine a collection space inside, whereby at least one, preferentially both of said first and second parts present completely biodegradable compositions, whereby the first (11) and second (12) parts can be provided in composite substances with similar or different fractions of natural fibres of coffee silverscreen, or other sub-product of processing of an aromatic vegetal species, such as for example rice, cinnamon and locust bean. Moreover, the collection confinement (1) can be adapted for collection of a weight of edible substance smaller than 20 g, preferentially smaller than 10 g.

[0081] FIGS. 9 and 10 represent the case of a collection confinement (1) according to the present invention, provided in the form of a drinking recipient, notably with a general shape of a glass, cup or similar type, or of bottle or similar type, respectively.