Michigan State University

Awi Licensing Company

Amar Kumar Mohanty

Lawrence T Drzal

Manjusri Misra

Brian P Rook

Qiangxian Wu

Abhishek Singh

Yashodhan Parulekar

Kelby Thayer

Susan E Selke

Rigoberto Burgueno

Bruce R Harte

Wanjun Liu

Mariappan Chidambarakumar

Hwanman Park

Arief C Wibowo

Mario John Quagliata

Napawan Kositruangchai

Geeta Mehta

Jean-Pierre L Dwan'Isa

Preveen Tummala

Rahul Bhardwaj

A bioadhesive composition from distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS) is produced by reaction with an aqueous solution of a base, particularly, sodium hydroxide. Optionally, urea is included with the base. The bioadhesive composition is filtered as a solution from the residue of the reaction with the base. The bioadhesive composition is particularly useful as a boxboard glue.

Bioadhesive from distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and the methods of making those

Blended compositions and methods for the production of thermoset compositions of soy meal, which has been treated to remove non-thermoplastic materials associated with soy beans, and natural rubber. Also provided is a method for the preparation of a prepared granular soy meal by blowing a gas through a stream of granular natural soy meal to remove hulls and cellulose fiber materials which are lighter than the granular soy meal to provide the prepared granular soy meal for the compositions. The compositions are elastic and can be used in place of rubber bands and the like.

'Green' materials from soy meal and natural rubber blends

A bioadhesive composition from distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS) is produced by reaction with an aqueous solution of a base, particularly, sodium hydroxide. Optionally, urea is included with the base. The bioadhesive composition is filtered as a solution from the residue of the reaction with the base. The bioadhesive composition s particularly useful as a boxboard glue.

Specific polymer blends of polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and poly-(butylenes adipate-co-terephthalate (PBAT) as a fatty acid quaternary ammonium modified clay. The blends are particularly useful for barrier packaging.

Biodegradable polymeric nanocomposite compositions particularly for packaging

A thermoplastic polymer composition reinforced with fibers such as cellulose or other fillers, particularly from natural sources, and a process for manufacturing the composition are disclosed. The polymer is extruded with a salt which reduces the melting point and pelletized. The pellets are then extruded again with the filler. The composition with the filler can then be melted at the reduced melting temperature to manufacture an article.

Filler reinforced thermoplastic compositions and process for manufacture

Compositions of biodegradable polymers and hyperbranched dendritic polymer (HBP) are described. The compositions can also include anhydride modified HBP. The resulting compositions have superior elongation at break and can be as cast or blown films for packaging, for example.

Hyperbranched polymer modified biopolymers, their biobased materials and process for the preparation thereof

A process for the manufacture of natural fiber and polymer composites is described. Thermoplastically processed plasticized soy flour based plastics are used with thermoplastic polymers. Polymers of soy flour and an in situ polymerized polyvinyl polymer which links proteins and carbohydrates in the flour to form the polymer are used. The composites are useful in engineering materials.

Cellulosic biomass soy flour based biocomposites and process for manufacturing thereof

Toughened compositions from polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), preferably PHB reactively blended with maleated poly butadiene and with an epoxidized natural or synthetic rubber are described. The compositions preferably include clay nanoparticles which can be organically modified and can be exfoliated by the blend. The compositions can be used in a variety of applications, including automotive uses.

Methods of making nanocomposites and compositions of rubber toughened polyhydroxyalkanoates

Polymeric materials and products, including sheet flooring materials prepared from the polymeric materials, and processes for preparing the polymeric materials, are disclosed. The polymeric materials include a polylactic acid-based polymer in combination with plasticizer and a compatibilizer, and optionally include a filler. The polymeric material can include between about 30 to about 50 percent by weight polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene glycol, polyglycolide, ethylene vinyl acetate, polycarbonate, polycaprolactone, polyhydroxyalkanoates, or polyolefins modified with polar groups, for example, ionomers. The plasticizer is typically an epoxidized vegetable oil or esterified and epoxidized vegetable oil and is typically present in an amount of between about 10 and about 50% by weight. In some embodiments, the compatibilizer is a polyolefin modified with one or more polar functional groups, and is typically present in an amount of between about 5 and about 10% by weight. The material can be used in decorative surface coverings, such as a floor coverings, particularly when it is in the form of a polymeric sheet. The polymeric material can be present in at least one layer of a floor covering, which floor covering can also include one or more additional layers such as wear layers, foamed or foamable layers, top coat layers and design layers. The additional layers can also include the polymeric material.

Floor covering made from an environmentally friendly polylactide-based composite formulation

Environmentally friendly polylactide-based composite formulations

A polymer composition of cellulose esters, plasticizer, a cellulose linked anhydride as a compatibilizer and organically modified clay. The composites have superior tensile and flexural strengths, modulus, dimensional stability and heat deflection temperature (HDT).

Compositions of cellulose esters and layered silicates and process for the preparation thereof

The present invention relates to composite structural members comprising polymers, natural and synthetic fibers, and nano-scale platelets arranged in two- or three-dimensional cellular skeletal structure; more particularly referring to a low-cost natural-fiber based structural member with material hybridization and material layout for improved behavior that leads to efficient structural beam and plate/panel components that can be used in a plurality of modular structures, resulting in lower cost and reduced environmental impact.

Hybrid natural-fiber composites with cellular skeletal structures

A Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) as prepregs and cured compositions with naturally derived fibers which have been dried for at least three hours is described. The SMC process combines polyester polymer or resin with the fibers preferably continuously. The molded products are useful for a variety a purposes where glass fiber filled polyester polymers are conventionally used.

Biocomposites sheet molding and methods of making those

A solvent-free process for making a polyol fatty acid polyester composition useful for preparation of polyurethanes is described. These compositions are preferably made by reaction of a natural oil (from plant or animal) with a multi-functional hydroxyl compound derived from a natural source, such as sorbitol, in presence of an alkali metal salt or base such as potassium hydroxide as a catalyst which also acts to saponify the reaction mixture. The hydroxyl content of the prepared composition depends on the amount of the multi-functional hydroxyl compound used in the preparation. In another embodiment, the hydroxyl groups of these compositions are reacted with an isocyanate, such as the polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate (also known as 4,4'-diphenyl methane diisocyanate, or MDI) to form polyurethanes in a conventional manner.

Growing community of inventors

Lansing, MI, United States of America

Amar Kumar Mohanty