US6350530B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Biodegradable card base
Assignee: Gunze Ltd
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Filing: 1997-03-24
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Granted: 2002-02-26
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Expires: 2017-03-24
Abstract
Abstract The present invention provides a card base which is degradable by microbes in natural environment. The card base is excellent in properties necessary for card bases, such as tensile strength, impact strength, flex temperature, heat resistance, resistance to thermal expansion and contraction, blocking resistance and humidity resistance, and has rigidity, bending resistance and durability. The card base contains, as essential components, a 3-hydroxybutylate/3-hydroxyvalerate copolymer and a lactic acid polymer, and, where necessary, a polycaprolactone or a high-molecular aliphatic polyester. The card base has a single-layer structure, or a sandwich structure further having overlay layers comprising a composition containing, as essential components, a lactic acid polymer and either or both of a polycaprolactone and a high-molecular alphatic polyester.
Inventors
- 👤 Akira Morikawa
- 👤 Mamoru Oishi
- 👤 Yoshikiyo Saito
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 15:00
CPC Classifications
B; B32; B32B; B32B27/00; B32B27/06; B32B27/08; C; C08; C08L; C08L67/00; C08L67/04; B32B27/36; B32B2307/00; B32B2307/70; B32B2307/716; B32B2307/7163; B32B2367/00; B32B2425/00; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/24; Y10T428/24802; Y10T428/31504; Y10T428/31786
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
42 words
A biodegradable single-layer card base comprising a composition a composition comprising 86 to 31 wt. % of a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxyvalerate, 9 to 46 wt. % of a lactic acid polymer and 5 to 23 wt. % of a polycaprolactone.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
42 words
A biodegradable single-layer card base comprising a composition a composition comprising 86 to 31 wt. % of a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxyvalerate, 9 to 46 wt. % of a lactic acid polymer and 5 to 23 wt. % of a polycaprolactone.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
76 words
A biodegradable card base comprising at least one core layer (A1) comprising a composition comprising 90 to 40 wt. % of a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxyvalerate and 10 to 16 wt. % of a lactic acid polymer; and overlay layers (B1) comprising a composition comprising 95 to 60 wt. % or a lactic acid polymer and 5 to 40 wt. % of a polycaprolactone; the core layer (A1) being sandwiched between the overlay layers (B1).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
76 words
A biodegradable card base comprising at least one core layer (A1) comprising a composition comprising 90 to 40 wt. % of a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxyvalerate and 10 to 16 wt. % of a lactic acid polymer; and overlay layers (B1) comprising a composition comprising 95 to 60 wt. % or a lactic acid polymer and 5 to 40 wt. % of a polycaprolactone; the core layer (A1) being sandwiched between the overlay layers (B1).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
A biodegradable card base according to claim 2 , wherein the core layers(s) (A1) and the overlay layers (B1) are laminated to form a three-layer structure (B1)/(A1)/(B1) or a four-layer structure (B1)/(A1)/(A1)/(B1).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
A biodegradable card base according to claim 2 , wherein the core layer(s) (A1) comprises a composition comprising 77 wt. % or more of the combined amount of a 3-hydroxybutyrate/3-hydroxyvalerate copolymer and a lactic acid, and 23 wt. % or less of a polycaprolactone.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
124 words
A biodegradable card wherein the core layer(s) (A2) comprises a composition comprising 82 to 27 wt. % of a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxyvalerate, 9 to 40 wt. % of a lactic acid polymer and 9 to 33 wt. % of a high-molecular weight aliphatic polyester having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of 10,000 or more obtained by dehydrating polycondensation of a glycol and an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid; and wherein the overlay layers (B2) comprising a composition comprising 99 to 67 wt. % of a lactic acid polymer and 1 to 33 wt. % of a high-molecular weight aliphatic polyester having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of 10,000 or more obtained by dehydrating polycondensation of a glycol and an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
124 words
A biodegradable card wherein the core layer(s) (A2) comprises a composition comprising 82 to 27 wt. % of a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxyvalerate, 9 to 40 wt. % of a lactic acid polymer and 9 to 33 wt. % of a high-molecular weight aliphatic polyester having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of 10,000 or more obtained by dehydrating polycondensation of a glycol and an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid; and wherein the overlay layers (B2) comprising a composition comprising 99 to 67 wt. % of a lactic acid polymer and 1 to 33 wt. % of a high-molecular weight aliphatic polyester having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of 10,000 or more obtained by dehydrating polycondensation of a glycol and an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
A biodegradable card base according to claim 5 , wherein the core layers(s) (A2) and the overlay layers (B2) are laminated to form a three-layer structure (B2)/(A2)/(B2) or a four-layer structure (B2)/(A2)/(A2)/(B2).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
70 words
A biodegradable card base according to claim 5 , wherein the overlay layers (B2) comprise a composition comprising 73 wt. % or more of the combined amount of a lactic acid polymer and a high-molecular weight aliphatic polyester having a number average molecular weight (Mn) of 10,000 or more obtained by dehydrating polycondensation of a glycol and an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid, and 27 wt. % or less of a polycaprolactone.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
A biodegradable card base according to claim 5 , wherein the glycol in the high-molecular weight aliphatic polyester is at least one member selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, decamethylene glycol, neopentyl glycol and 1,4-cyclohexane dimethanol.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
46 words
A biodegradable card base according to claim 5 , wherein the aliphatic dicarboxylic acid in the high-molecular weight aliphatic polyester is at least one member selected from the group consisting of succinic acid, adipic acid, suberic acid, sebasic acid, dodecanoic acid, succinic anhydride and adipic anhydride.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
A biodegradable card base according to claim 5 , wherein the high-molecular weight aliphatic polyester is a polymer or copolymer synthesized by dehydrating polycondensation of at least one glycol and at least one aliphatic dicarboxylic acid.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
59 words
A biodegradable card base according to claim 5 , wherein the high-molecular weight aliphatic polyester comprises, in addition to the at least one glycol and at least one aliphatic dicarboxylic acid, a third component which is at least one polyfunctional component selected from the group consisting of tri- or tetrafunctional polyhydric alcohols, oxycarboxylic acids, polycarboxylic acids and their anhydrides.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
A biodegradable card base according to claim 5 , wherein the high-molecular weight aliphatic polyester is at least one member selected from the group consisting of polyethylene succinate, polybutylene succinate and polybutylene succinate.adipate.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
54 words
A biodegradable card base according to claim 5 , wherein color photographs and/or characters can be printed on the surface of the overlay layers (B2) by thermally transferring photographs and/or characters using a hot stamp and a color film having a hot-melt ink layer and/or a heat-sublimable ink layer, and removing the color film.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
A biodegradable card base according to claims 1 , 2 or 5 , wherein the copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxyvalerate contains 1 to 20 mol % of 3-hydroxyvalerate.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
A biodegradable card base according to claims 1 , 2 or 5 , wherein the lactic acid polymer is a polymer obtained by direct dehydrating condensation of any one of L-lactic acid, D-lactic acid and D,L-lactic acid.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
40 words
A biodegradable card base according to claims 1 , 2 or 5 , wherein the lactic acid polymer is a copolymer obtained by direct dehydrating polycondensation of hydrocarboxylic acid and any one of L-lactic acid, D-lactic acid and D-L-lactic acid.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
36 words
A biodegradable card base according to claims 2 or 5 wherein the lactic acid polymer is a polymer obtained by ring-opening polymerization of a lactide of any one of L-lactic acid, D-lactic acid and D,L-lactic acid.
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