The United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of

Lewis A Gugliemelli

Charles R Russell

William McKee Doane

George F Fanta

Edward B Bagley

Charles L Swanson

Filled composite plastics are prepared, which consist entirely of a rigid filler which has been graft polymerized with a thermoplastic polymer. The conventional thermoplastic matrix has been eliminated. When the rigid filler is a polysaccharide, such as starch, a product with improved biodegradability is produced. Also, valuable petroleum reserves are conserved, since the polysaccharide portion serves as an extender for the petroleum-based polymer.

Composite compositions from graft polymerized rigid fillers

Starch graft polymer latexes as well as processes for their preparations are disclosed. The starch graft latexes are water-dispersed grafted starch particles (300-1500 A in size) consisting of either (1) a cationic starch graft polymerized with up to 66% by weight of either nonionic or cationic vinyl monomers alone or with selected combinations thereof or (2) a nonionic starch graft polymerized with a cationic monomer alone or in combination with nonionic monomers. The latexes, having a range of properties, dry at 25.degree. C. or at higher temperatures to clear continuous films.

Growing community of inventors

Pekin, IL, United States of America

Lewis A Gugliemelli