Chronopol, Inc.

E.i. Dupont De Nemours and Company

Ecological Chemical Products

William E Kelly, Jr

Kevin H Schilling

Xiaomao Chen

Edmund Arthur Flexman

Thomas M Ford

Richard L Baird

The present invention is directed to degradable blends containing polylactide, a degradable impact modifier, and a degradable plasticizer for use in packaging films. The degradable impact modifier can be a degradable, non-toxic elastomer or a degradable, non-toxic, non-elastomeric polymer having a low glass transition temperature, such as polycaprolactone and poly(ethylene glycol). The degradable plasticizer can be any plasticizer having a relatively low molecular weight, a high degree of miscibility with polylactide, and non-toxicity. The film has excellent flexibility and impact strength for packaging applications.

Impact modified polylactide

An antibacterial composition and method for use of such composition in packaging of moisture-containing foodstuffs in a manner to extend the shelf life of the foods comprises placing the foodstuff in intimate contact with the composition which comprises 5-40% wt. of a lactic acid-based compound and optionally a liquid organic plasticizer dispersed in a solid matrix of poly(lactic acid) or lactic acid copolymer having a number average molecular weight of 3,000 to 200,000.

Method for packaging foodstuffs

A poly(lactic acid) composition having improved physical properties comprises a homogeneous solid solution of (a) a polymer having a number average molecular weight of 3,000-200,000 and selected from the group consisting of (1) poly(lactic acid), (2) copolymers of lactic acid containing at least 50 mole % lactic acid units, and (3) mixtures thereof; and (b) a plasticizer comprising an epoxidized oil selected from the group consisting of (1) epoxidized soybean oil; and (2) epoxidized linseed oil.

Poly(lactic acid) composition having improved physical properties

Stabilization of poly(hydroxy acid)s, particularly poly(lactic acid), to thermal processing with selected boron compounds is disclosed. The most preferred stabilizer is boric oxide (B.sub.2 O.sub.3).

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Wilmington, DE, United States of America

William E Kelly, Jr