US5405564A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method of forming shaped articles made from pre-processed starch
Assignee: Novon International LLC
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Filing: 1993-09-15
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Granted: 1995-04-11
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Expires: 2013-09-15
Abstract
Abstract The invention refers to 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 composition to a temperature sufficient to essentially destructure the starch. (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 and articles made by this process.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert F. T. Stepto
- 👤 Ivan Tomka
- 👤 Markus Thoma
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 05:50
CPC Classifications
C; C08; C08J; C08J5/00; B; B29; B29C; B29C67/00; B29C67/24; C08L; C08L3/00; C08L3/02; A; A61; A61F; A61F13/00; A61F13/15; A61F13/15203; A61F13/15252; A61F13/15211; A61F2013/15235; B29K; B29K2003/00; C08J2303/00; C08J2303/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
263 words
A process for forming shaped articles from starch, wherein said process comprises the steps of: a) heating a solid starch composition comprising starch and water, wherein the water content of said solid starch composition is about 10% to about 20% by weight with respect to that of said starch composition, said heating step taking place in a screw barrel of an injection molding machine or an extruder, at a temperature of from about 80° C. to about 200° C., and at a pressure of from about zero to about 150×10 5 N/m 2 , for a time long enough to form a melt of destructurized starch; b) transferring said melt of destructurized starch to a mold or extruding said melt of destructurized starch while maintaining the water content in the range of from about 10% to about 20% by weight with respect to that of the composition; and c) cooling said melt of destructurized starch in said mold or outside said extruder to form a solid shaped article, wherein said solid starch composition has been obtained by heating starch and water, wherein the water content is in the range of from about 10% to about 20% by weight with respect to that of said starch, in a closed volume to a temperature within the range of about 120° C. to about 190° C. at a pressure corresponding to the vapor pressure of water at the used temperature and up to about 150×10 5 N/m 2 , to form a melt, wherein said melt is extruded and cooled to a solidified and granulated product.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
263 words
A process for forming shaped articles from starch, wherein said process comprises the steps of: a) heating a solid starch composition comprising starch and water, wherein the water content of said solid starch composition is about 10% to about 20% by weight with respect to that of said starch composition, said heating step taking place in a screw barrel of an injection molding machine or an extruder, at a temperature of from about 80° C. to about 200° C., and at a pressure of from about zero to about 150×10 5 N/m 2 , for a time long enough to form a melt of destructurized starch; b) transferring said melt of destructurized starch to a mold or extruding said melt of destructurized starch while maintaining the water content in the range of from about 10% to about 20% by weight with respect to that of the composition; and c) cooling said melt of destructurized starch in said mold or outside said extruder to form a solid shaped article, wherein said solid starch composition has been obtained by heating starch and water, wherein the water content is in the range of from about 10% to about 20% by weight with respect to that of said starch, in a closed volume to a temperature within the range of about 120° C. to about 190° C. at a pressure corresponding to the vapor pressure of water at the used temperature and up to about 150×10 5 N/m 2 , to form a melt, wherein said melt is extruded and cooled to a solidified and granulated product.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said starch is selected from the group consisting of chemically non-modified and physically modified starch.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process according to claim 2, wherein said starch has been extracted from the group consisting of potatoes, rice, tapioca, corn, rye, oats and wheat.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the water content of said solid starch composition is in the range of about 12 to 19% by weight of said starch granules.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
A process according to claim 4, wherein the water content of said solid starch composition in the range of about 14 to 18% by weight of the composition.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said solid starch composition is heated to a temperature of from 140° C. to 180° C.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the pressures applied to said solid starch composition are from zero to 100×10 5 N/m 2 .
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process according to claim 7, wherein the pressures applied to said solid starch composition are from zero to 80×10 5 N/m 2 .
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the pressures applied to said destructurized starch melt during transfer of said melt to a mold are from 300×10 5 N/m 2 to 3,000×10 5 N/m 2 .
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein the pressures applied to said destructurized starch melt during transfer of said melt to a mold are from 700×10 5 N/m 2 to 2,200×10 5 N/m 2 .
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said destructurized starch melt contains extenders, lubricants, plasticizers, inorganic fillers and/or coloring agents.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
98 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said destructurized starch melt contains at least one member selected from the group consisting of extenders, vegetable proteins, blood proteins, egg proteins, acrylated proteins, water-soluble polysaccharides, carrageenans, guar gum, agar-agar, gum arabic, gum ghatti, gum karaya, gum tragacanth, pectin, water-soluble derivatives of cellulose, polyacrylic acids and polyacrylic acid esters, polymethacrylic acids and polyacrylic acid esters, polyvinylacetates, polyvinylalcohols, polyvinylacetatephthalates, (PVAP), polyvinylpyrrolidone, polycrotonic acids, phtalated gelatin, gelatin succinate, crosslinked gelatin and cationically modified polymers of acrylates and/or methacrylates, in an amount of up to about 5%, based on the weight of all components.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
54 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said destructurized starch melt contains or is mixed with at least one member selected from the group consisting of gelatin, sunflower proteins, alginates, alkylcelluloses, hydroxyalkylcelluloses, hydroxyalkylalkylcelluloses, cellulose esters, hydroxyalkylcellulose esters, carboxyalkylcelluloses, and carboxyalkylcellulose esters, in an amount up to 50%, based on the weight of all components.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
61 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said destructurized starch melt contains or is mixed with at least one plasticizer selected from the group consisting of polyalkylene oxides, glycerol, glycerol monoacetate, glycerol diacetate, glycerol triacetate, propylene glycol, sorbitol, sodium diethylsulfosuccinate, triethyl citrate, and tributyl citrate, added in concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 15% based on the weight of all the components.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
49 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said destructurized starch melt contains or is mixed with at least one member selected from the group consisting of polyethylene glycols, polypropylene glycols, and polyethylene-propylene glycols, added in concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 15% based on the weight of all the components.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
55 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said destructurized starch melt contains or is mixed with at least one coloring agent selected from the group consisting of azo dyes, organic pigments, inorganic pigments, and coloring agents of natural origin, being added in concentrations ranging from 0.001 to 10%, based on the weight of all components.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
38 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said destructurized starch melt contains or is mixed with inorganic fillers in a concentration in the range of about 0.02 to 3% by weight, based on the weight of all components.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
32 words
A process according to claim 11, wherein a plasticizer is present and the sum of said plasticizer and water content does not exceed 25%, based on the weight of all the components.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
23 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said destructurized starch melt comprises or is mixed with a material comprising animal or vegetable fats.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
17 words
A process according to claim 19, wherein said animal or vegetable fats are in their hydrogenated form.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
51 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said destructurized starch melt 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 are up to 5% by weight of the total composition.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
34 words
A process according to claim 1, wherein said destructurized starch melt contains or is mixed with silicon dioxide or titanium dioxide in a concentration of 0.02 to 1% by weight of the total composition.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
205 words
A process of forming a destructurized starch melt, wherein said process comprises the steps of: heating a solid starch composition comprising starch and water, wherein the water content of said solid starch composition is about 10% to about 20% by weight with respect to that of said solid starch composition, and wherein said heating step taking place in a screw barrel of an injection molding machine or an extruder, at a temperature of from about 80° C. to about 200° C., and at a pressure of from about zero to about 150×10 5 N/m 2 , for a time long enough to form a melt of destructurized starch; wherein said solid starch composition has been obtained by heating starch and water, wherein the water content is in the range of from about 10% to about 20% by weight with respect to that of said starch and water, in a closed volume to a temperature within the range of about 120° C. to about 190° C. at a pressure corresponding to the vapor pressure of water at the used temperature and up to about 150×10 5 N/m 2 , to form a melt, wherein said melt is extruded and cooled to a solidified and granulated product.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
205 words
A process of forming a destructurized starch melt, wherein said process comprises the steps of: heating a solid starch composition comprising starch and water, wherein the water content of said solid starch composition is about 10% to about 20% by weight with respect to that of said solid starch composition, and wherein said heating step taking place in a screw barrel of an injection molding machine or an extruder, at a temperature of from about 80° C. to about 200° C., and at a pressure of from about zero to about 150×10 5 N/m 2 , for a time long enough to form a melt of destructurized starch; wherein said solid starch composition has been obtained by heating starch and water, wherein the water content is in the range of from about 10% to about 20% by weight with respect to that of said starch and water, in a closed volume to a temperature within the range of about 120° C. to about 190° C. at a pressure corresponding to the vapor pressure of water at the used temperature and up to about 150×10 5 N/m 2 , to form a melt, wherein said melt is extruded and cooled to a solidified and granulated product.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-04-10 | 1998-10-10 | 1999-04-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-04-10 | 2002-10-10 | 2003-04-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-04-10 | 2006-10-10 | 2007-04-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |