US6136097A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for producing thermoplastic starch
Assignee: BioTec Biologische Naturverpackungen GmbH and Co KG
•
Filing: 1994-05-27
•
Granted: 2000-10-24
•
Expires: 2014-05-27
Abstract
Abstract A process is disclosed for producing thermoplastic starch based on renewable raw materials and, if required, for further processing it into a granulate. A low viscosity starch is modified under a low shearing stress during the extrusion process and leaves the extruder with an increased viscosity in the form of a strip, threads or in other geometrical shapes. The advantages of the invention mainly lie in the improved quality of the starch products, the preservation of the mechanical parts of the extruder installation and the increase of the nominal output of the extruder.
Inventors
- 👤 Jurgen Lorcks
- 👤 Winfried Pommeranz
- 👤 Kurt Klenke
- 👤 Harald Schmidt
- 👤 Joachim Heuer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 18:15
CPC Classifications
C; C08; C08J; C08J3/00; C08J3/12; B; B29; B29B; B29B7/00; B29B7/002; B29B7/007; B29B7/30; B29B7/34; B29B7/38; B29B7/46; B29B7/80; B29B7/88; B29B7/90; B29C; B29C48/00; B29C48/25; B29C48/36; B29C48/395; B29C48/40; C08B; C08B30/00; C08B30/12; C08L; C08L3/00; C08L3/02; B29B7/84; B29B7/845; C08J2303/00; C08J2303/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
171 words
A process for producing thermoplastic starch in granulated or fibrous form, on the basis of renewable starch-containing raw materials and optionally with solid and/or liquid additives, comprising the following process steps: a) mixing the renewable starch-containing raw materials, optionally with solid and/or liquid additives, to give a homogenous raw material mixture in a first section; b) adding a dosed amount of the raw material mixture to a second section; c) adding to the raw material mixture a dosed amount of further additives to said second section; d) heating and reacting the raw material mixture and forming a melt with a first viscosity in a third section; e) cooling and plastifying the melt in a fourth and fifth section and extruding an extrudate of the thermoplastic starch with a second viscosity which is higher than the first viscosity, at a pressure of 25 to 150 bar and at a temperature of 30° to 99° C., f) conditioning the extrudate in a sixth section; and g) emitting the extrudate in a seventh section.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
171 words
A process for producing thermoplastic starch in granulated or fibrous form, on the basis of renewable starch-containing raw materials and optionally with solid and/or liquid additives, comprising the following process steps: a) mixing the renewable starch-containing raw materials, optionally with solid and/or liquid additives, to give a homogenous raw material mixture in a first section; b) adding a dosed amount of the raw material mixture to a second section; c) adding to the raw material mixture a dosed amount of further additives to said second section; d) heating and reacting the raw material mixture and forming a melt with a first viscosity in a third section; e) cooling and plastifying the melt in a fourth and fifth section and extruding an extrudate of the thermoplastic starch with a second viscosity which is higher than the first viscosity, at a pressure of 25 to 150 bar and at a temperature of 30° to 99° C., f) conditioning the extrudate in a sixth section; and g) emitting the extrudate in a seventh section.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process according to claim 1, wherein the emitted extrudate is dried in an eighth section.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
The process according to claim 1 characterized in that the renewable raw materials in the raw material mixture are polymeric carbohydrates obtained from the group consisting of corn, wheat, potatoes, tapioca, hybrid corn and other cereal or starch-containing roots or tubers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process according to claim 1 characterized in that as an additive glycerin monostearate is added as an emulsifier.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The process according to claim 4, wherein the glycerin monostearate is added as an emulsifier in the first section.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The process according to claim 1 characterized by adding as further additives an additive selected from the group consisting of plastifying, softening, solubilizing, hydrophobizing, dyeing, film-forming, film-formation enhancing and fibrous adjuvants.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
The process according to claim 6, characterized by adding glycerin as plastifying adjuvant.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
The process according to claim 6, characterized by adding textile fibers as fibrous adjuvant.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process according to claim 6 wherein volatile softeners and adjuvants are removed from the extrudate in a drying step thereby adjusting a defined content of solid material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process according to claim 9 wherein the drying step occurs in an eighth section.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
The process according to claim 6 wherein the further additives are added in the second section.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
The process according to claim 1 characterized in that the raw material mixture contains 5 to 95% of renewable starch-containing raw materials.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process according to claim 12 wherein the raw material mixture contains 50 to 90% of renewable starch-containing raw materials.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process according to claim 12 wherein the raw material mixture contains 60 to 85% of renewable starch-containing raw materials.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein in the first section the renewable starch-containing raw materials and the additives are mixed in a mixer to give a homogeneous raw material mixture.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
35 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein in the second to fifth section the raw material mixture is heated, destructurized, chemico-physically modified and cooled off on a twin-screw extruder in relation to a pressure/temperature profile.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the starch is extruded in the form of a strip, threads or in other geometrical shapes.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
33 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the extrudate is subjected to an aftertreatment in the sixth section by conditioning it with gaseous, liquid, or solid adjuvants under elevated or reduced atmospheric pressure.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the conditioned extrudate is disintegrated into granulated thermoplastic starch in a crushing step after the conditioning step.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
The process according to claim 1 wherein the emitting of the conditioned extrudate occurs as a continuous filament.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
21 words
An extrudate in the form of a granulates or fibers of starch produced according to the process according to claim 1.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
BE654605A
Cited
US3265509A
Cited
US4076846A
Cited
GB2208652A
Cited
EP0304401A2
Cited
WO1990014938A1
Cited
CH679564A5
Cited
WO1992019680A1
Cited
DE4117628A1
Cited
WO1994004600A1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-10-24 | 2004-04-24 | 2004-10-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-10-24 | 2008-04-24 | 2008-10-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-10-24 | 2012-04-24 | 2012-10-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |