Method for the formation of articles from collagenous material

Claim 1

A method for the formation of a water soluble collagenous article comprising the steps of: mixing the collagenous paste, slurry or dispersion with an ester of alginic acid selected from the group consisting of water dispersable alkylene glycols up to pentylene glycol and methyl ester, the ester being present in a weight ratio of from about 1:25 to about 1:5 relative to the collagenous material on a dry weight basis, and the mixture having a solids content of from about 5% to about 20% by weight to produce a coherent plastic mass; forming the mixture into the shape of the article to be formed; increasing the pH of the mixture to render it sufficiently alkaline that setting of the mixture is obtained when an increased pH in alkaline range is maintained, the increase in pH being obtained by using an alkali capable of effecting such setting without the necessity of drying to effectively reform a collagen article having the desired shape in which the collagen fibers are bound together by the alginate ester, and maintaining the mixture at the increased pH until the mixture is set.

Claim 2

A method for the formation of a water soluble collagenous article comprising the steps of: mixing the collagenous paste, slurry or dispersion with an ester of alginic acid selected from the group consisting of water dispersable alkylene glycols up to pentylene glycol and methyl ester, the ester being present in a weight ratio of from about 1:25 to about 1:5 relative to the collagenous material on a dry weight basis, and the mixture having a solids content of from about 5% to about 20% by weight to produce a coherent plastic mass; forming the mixture into the shape of the article to be formed; increasing the pH of the mixture to render it sufficiently alkaline that setting of the mixture is obtained when an increased pH in alkaline range is maintained, the increase in pH being obtained by using an alkali capable of effecting such setting without the necessity of drying to effectively reform a collagen article having the desired shape in which the collagen fibers are bound together by the alginate ester, and maintaining the mixture at the increased pH until the mixture is set.

Claim 22

A method for the formation of a water insoluble collagenous article comprising the steps of: forming an aqueous paste, slurry or dispersion of water insoluble collagen fibers; mixing the collagenous paste, slurry or dispersion with an ester of alginic acid selected from the group consisting of water dispersable alkylene glycols up to pentylene glycol and methyl ester, the ester being present in a weight ratio of from about 1:100 to about 50:50 relative to the collagenous material on a dry weight basis, and the mixture having a solids content of from about 5% to 20% by weight to produce a coherent plastic mass; forming the mixture into the shape of the article to be formed; increasing the pH of the mixture to render it sufficiently alkaline that setting of the mixture is obtained when an increased pH in the alkaline range is maintained, the increase of the pH being obtained by using an alkali capable of effecting such setting without the necessity of drying to effectively reform a collagen article having the desired shape in which the collagen fibers are bound together by the alginate ester and maintaining the mixture at the increased pH until the mixture is set.

Claim 23

A method for the formation of a water insoluble collagenous article comprising the steps of: forming an aqueous paste, slurry or dispersion of water insoluble collagen fibers; mixing the collagenous paste, slurry or dispersion with an ester of alginic acid selected from the group consisting of water dispersable alkylene glycols up to pentylene glycol and methyl ester, the ester being present in a weight ratio of from about 1:100 to about 50:50 relative to the collagenous material on a dry weight basis, and the mixture having a solids content of from about 5% to 20% by weight to produce a coherent plastic mass; forming the mixture into the shape of the article to be formed; increasing the pH of the mixture to render it sufficiently alkaline that setting of the mixture is obtained when an increased pH in the alkaline range is maintained, the increase of the pH being obtained by using an alkali capable of effecting such setting without the necessity of drying to effectively reform a collagen article having the desired shape in which the collagen fibers are bound together by the alginate ester and maintaining the mixture at the increased pH until the mixture is set.

Claim 24

A method for the formation of a water insoluble sausage casing comprising the steps of: forming an aqueous paste, slurry or dispersion of water insoluble collagen fibers; mixing the collagenous paste, slurry or dispersion with an ester of alginic acid selected from the group consisting of water dispersable alkylene glycols up to pentylene glycol and methyl ester, the ester being present in a weight ratio of from about 1:20 to about 1:5 relative to the collagenous material on a dry weight basis, and the mixture having a solids content of from about 5% to 20% by weight to produce a coherent plastic mass; forming the mixture into the shape of a sausage casing; increasing the pH of the mixture to render it sufficiently alkaline that setting of the mixture is obtained when an increased pH in the alkaline range is maintained, the increase of the pH being obtained by using an alkali capable of effecting such setting without the necessity of drying to effectively reform a collagen article having the desired shape in which the collagen fibers are bound together by the alginate ester, and maintaining the mixture at the increased pH until the mixture is set.

Claim 25

A method for the formation of a water insoluble sausage casing comprising the steps of: forming an aqueous paste, slurry or dispersion of water insoluble collagen fibers; mixing the collagenous paste, slurry or dispersion with an ester of alginic acid selected from the group consisting of water dispersable alkylene glycols up to pentylene glycol and methyl ester, the ester being present in a weight ratio of from about 1:20 to about 1:5 relative to the collagenous material on a dry weight basis, and the mixture having a solids content of from about 5% to 20% by weight to produce a coherent plastic mass; forming the mixture into the shape of a sausage casing; increasing the pH of the mixture to render it sufficiently alkaline that setting of the mixture is obtained when an increased pH in the alkaline range is maintained, the increase of the pH being obtained by using an alkali capable of effecting such setting without the necessity of drying to effectively reform a collagen article having the desired shape in which the collagen fibers are bound together by the alginate ester, and maintaining the mixture at the increased pH until the mixture is set.

Claim 32

A method for the formation of a water insoluble collagenous article comprising the steps of: forming an aqueous paste, slurry or dispersion of water insoluble collagen fibers; mixing the collagenous paste, slurry or dispersion with an ester of alginic acid selected from the group consisting of water dispersable alkylene glycols up to pentylene glycol and methyl ester, the ester being present in a weight ratio of from about 1:25 to about 1:5 relative to the collagenous material on a dry weight basis and having a solids content of about 5% to about 20% by weight to produce a coherent plastic mass; increasing the pH of the mixture to render it sufficiently alkaline that setting of the mixture is obtained when an increased pH in the alkaline range is maintained, the increase of the pH being obtained by using an alkali capable of effecting such setting without the necessity of drying to effectively reform a collagen article having the desired shape in which the collagen fibers are bound together by the alginate ester; forming the plastic mass into the shape of the article to be formed; and maintaining the plastic mass more alkaline until the plastic mass has set in the shape formed.

Claim 33

A method for the formation of a water insoluble collagenous article comprising the steps of: forming an aqueous paste, slurry or dispersion of water insoluble collagen fibers; mixing the collagenous paste, slurry or dispersion with an ester of alginic acid selected from the group consisting of water dispersable alkylene glycols up to pentylene glycol and methyl ester, the ester being present in a weight ratio of from about 1:25 to about 1:5 relative to the collagenous material on a dry weight basis and having a solids content of about 5% to about 20% by weight to produce a coherent plastic mass; increasing the pH of the mixture to render it sufficiently alkaline that setting of the mixture is obtained when an increased pH in the alkaline range is maintained, the increase of the pH being obtained by using an alkali capable of effecting such setting without the necessity of drying to effectively reform a collagen article having the desired shape in which the collagen fibers are bound together by the alginate ester; forming the plastic mass into the shape of the article to be formed; and maintaining the plastic mass more alkaline until the plastic mass has set in the shape formed.