Natureworks LLC

Manuel A W Natal

Nemat Hossieny

Joseph David Schroeder

Osei A Owusu

Krag Ellis Anderson

Oliver J Palardy

Deepak Venkatraman

James Russell Valentine

Polylactide resin compositions that exhibit rapid hydrolysis rates and leave small amounts of residuals include a poly(meso-lactide) and a second polylactide. The polylactide resin compositions are useful in applications in which rapid hydrolysis is wanted under mildly to moderately elevated temperatures, such as in certain oil & gas well treatment applications.

Fast-hydrolyzing polylactide resin compositions

Expanded poly(lactide) (PLA) beads are made by pressurizing PLA beads with carbon dioxide at approximately room temperature, heating the beads under pressure to 90 to 160 C to saturate and partially crystallize the beads, and then depressurizing and cooling the beads. The PLA beads contain a blend of PLLA and PDLA in certain ratios. The beads are useful for making expanded bead foam.

Process for forming polylactide expanded bead foam

Thermal insulation structures include a polymer foam layer adhered to a multi-layer sheet having a non-cellular layer of a heat-resistant thermoplastic and a second non-cellular layer of a polylactide resin. The polylactide resin is a surprisingly good barrier to the diffusion of atmospheric gases into the foam layer and of blowing agents out of the foam layer. Accordingly, the diffusion of atmospheric gases and blowing agents is retarded substantially. This greatly reduces the loss of thermal insulation capacity of the structure due to the replacement of the blowing agent with atmospheric gases. The multi-layer sheet exhibits excellent thermal stability, even when the polylactide in the polylactide layer is highly amorphous.

Polymer foam insulation structure having a facing of a multi-layer sheet that contains a heat resistant polymer layer and a polylactide resin layer

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Eden Prairie, MN, United States of America

Manuel A W Natal