Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno

Eric G M Craenmehr

Theodoor Maximiliaan Slaghek

Jan J De Vlieger

Willem Cornelis Drost

Sabine Fischer

Mario T R Van Wandelen

Theodorus J J M Kock

The invention provides a fiber-reinforced polymer composite comprising fibers derived from mammalian hair and/or feathers, wherein the fibers have been prepared by means of a process comprising the steps of: (a) subjecting mammalian hair and/or feathers to an oxidation treatment in which the hair and/or feathers (is) are contacted with a solution, which comprises a bleaching agent; (b) separating the oxidized hair and/or feathers from the solution; and (c) drying the separated hair and/or feathers. The invention further provides processes to prepare said composite, a process to prepare said fibers, and shaped polymer products comprising said composite.

Fibre-reinforced polymer composites and processes for preparing the same

Starch can be gelatinised more efficiently by a thermomechanical treatment, if a dialdehyde polysaccharide with a relatively low degree of oxidation is added to the starch. This thermomechanical treatment can be carried out at a temperature below 115 DEG C., or even below 100 DEG C., and with a high throughput rate. With this treatment a granulate or other semi-finished product is obtained that can be shaped to produce an article that has excellent dimensional stability in water. By adding dialdehyde polysaccharide with a low degree of oxidation to starch it is possible to blow transparent films based on thermoplastic starch which have improved mechanical properties.

Biodegradable polymer material consisting of starch and dialdehyde polysaccharide

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Venlo, Netherlands

Eric G M Craenmehr