Shaped articles made from pre-processed starch

Claim 2

A process of forming shaped articles from starch, which process comprises: (a) heating a composition comprising a pre-processed and essentially destructurized starch/water material, at a water content in the range of from 10 to 20 % by weight based on the weight of the compositions to a temperature sufficient to essentially destructure the starch to form a melt; (b) transferring the melt to a mold while maintaining said water content and (c) cooling the melt in the mold to a temperature below its glass transition temperature to form a solid shaped article.

Claim 3

A process according to claim 1, wherein the pre-processed starch is obtained by thermoplastic melt formation of starch.

Claim 4

A process according to the claims 1 or 2, wherein the pre-processed starch is selected from at least one member of the group consisting of chemically essentially non-modified starch, from physically modified starch, starch with a modified pH and/or starch wherein the types and concentrations of the cations associated with the phosphate groups of the starch have been modified.

Claim 5

A process according to anyone of the claims 1 to 3, wherein the starch was extracted from at least one member of the group consisting of potatoes, rice, tapioca, corn, rye, oats and/or wheat, preferably from potatoes.

Claim 6

A process according to anyone of the claims 1 to 4, wherein the water content of the pre-processed and essentially destructurized starch/water material has a water content in the range of about 10 to 20 % by weight of the composition, preferably 12 % to 19 % and especially 14 % to 18 % by weight, calculated to the weight of the composition.

Claim 7

A process according to anyone of the claims 1 to 5, wherein the solid destructurized starch/water material is heated to a temperature within the range of about 80 to 200°C, preferably within the range of about 120 to 190°C and especially at about 140 to 180°C to form a melt.

Claim 8

A process according to anyone of the claims 1 to 6, wherein the pressures applied to the melt are from zero to 150 x 10⁵ N/m² preferably from zero to 100 x 10⁵ N/m² and most particularly from zero to 80 x 10⁵ N/m² in extrusion and injection molding; and from 300 x 10⁵ N/m² to 3.000 x 10⁵ N/m² preferably 700 x 10⁵ - 2200 10⁵ N/m², for the injection step in injection molding.

Claim 9

A process according to anyone of the claims 1 to 7, wherein the destructurized starch/water material contains or is mixed with extenders, lubricants, plasticizers, inorganic fillers and/or coloring agents.

Claim 10

A process according to claim 8, wherein the destructurized starch/water material contains or is mixed with at least one member selected from the class consisting of extenders, preferably with gelatin; vegetable proteins preferably sunflower protein, soybean proteins, cotton seed proteins, peanut proteins, rape seed proteins, blood proteins, egg proteins, acrylated proteins; water-soluble polysaccharides, preferably alginates, carrageenans, guar gum, agar-agar, gum arabic, gum ghatti, gum karaya, gum tragacauth, pectin; water-soluble derivatives of cellulose, preferably alkylcelluloses, hydroxyalkylcelluloses, hydroxyalkylalkylcelluloses, celluloseesters and hydroxyalkylcelluloseesters, carboxyalkylcelluloses, carboxyalkylcelluloseesters, polyacrylic acids and polyacrylic acid esters, polymethacrylic acids and polyacrylic acid esters, polyvinylacetates, polyvinylalcohols, polyvinylacetatephtalates (PVAP), polyvinylpyrrolidone, polycrotonic acids; phtalated gelatin, gelatin succinate, crosslinked gelatin, shellac, water soluble chemical derivatives of starch, cationically modified acrylates and/or methacrylates possessing in an amount up to and including 50 %, preferably within the range of 3 % to 10 % based on the weight of all components.

Claim 11

A process according to anyone of the claims 8 or 9, wherein the destructurized starch/water material contains or is mixed with at least one member selected from the group consisting of plasticizers, including polyalkylene oxides, preferably polyethylene glycols, polypropylene glycols, polyethtlene-propylene glycols; glycerol, glycerol monoacetate, diacetate or triacetate; propylene glycol , sorbitol, sodium diethylsulfosuccinate, triethyl citrate, tributyl citrate (added in concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 15 %, preferably ranging from 0.5 to 5 % based on the weight of all the components.

Claim 12

A process according to anyone of the claims 8 to 10, wherein the destructurized starch contains or mixed with at least one coloring agent being a member selected from the group of azo dyes, organic or inorganic pigments, or coloring agents of natural origin, preferably from oxides of iron of titanium, said coloring agent being added in concentrations ranging from 0.001 to 10 %, preferably 0.5 to 3 %, based on the weight of all components.

Claim 13

A process according to anyone of the claims 8 to 11, wherein the destructurized starch/water material contains or is mixed with inorganic fillers, preferably the oxides of magnesium, aluminum, silicon or titanium, preferably in a concentration in the range of about 0.02 to 3 % by weight, preferably 0.02 to 1 % based on the weight of all components.

Claim 14

A process according to claim 10, wherein a plasticizer is present and the sum of the plasticizer and water content does not exceed 25 % , and preferably not exceeds 20 %, based on the weight o;f all the components.

Claim 15

A process according to anyone of the claims 8 to 13, wherein the destructurized starch/water material comprises or is mixed with a material comprising animal or vegatable fats, preferably in their hydrogenated form, especially those which are solid at room temperature.

Claim 16

A process according to claim 14, wherein the destructurized starch water material comprises or is mixed with a material comprising fat together with mono- and/or diglycerides or phosphatides, especially lecithin, whereby the total amounts used of the fats mono-, diglycerides and/or lecithins not greater than 5 % and preferably within the range of about 0.5 to 2 % by weight of the total composition.

Claim 17

A process according to anyone of the claims 8 to 14, wherein the destructurized starch/water material contains or is mixed with silicon dioxide or titanium dioxide in a concentration of about 0.02 to 1 % by weight of the total composition.

Claim 18

A shaped article whenever made by a process as claimed in anyone of the claims 1 to 16.

Claim 19

A shaped article according to claim 17, made by a process selected from the group consisting of injection molding, blow molding, extrusion, coextrusion or compression molding.

Claim 20

Bottles, sheets, films, packaging material, pipes, rods, laminates, sacks, bags, pharmaceutical capsules, according to the claims 17 or 18.

Claim 21

A melt of a starch/water composition at elevated temperature, characterized in that said melt is obtained by heating a composition comprising a pre-processed and essentially destructurized starch/water material, at a water content in the range of from 10 to 20 % by weight based on the weight of the composition to a temperature sufficient to essentially destructure the starch to form a melt.

Claim 22

A melt of a starch/water composition at elevated temperature, characterized in that said melt is obtained by heating a composition comprising a pre-processed and essentially destructurized starch/water material, at a water content in the range of from 10 to 20 % by weight based on the weight of the composition to a temperature sufficient to essentially destructure the starch to form a melt.

Claim 23

A melt according to claim 20 characterized in that the starch/water composition is heated to a temperature in the range of from 80 to 200°C, preferably in the range from 120 to 190°C under a pressure as generated by the vapour pressure of the water present or under applied pressure up to 2200 x 10⁵ N/m².