United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of Agriculture

Lapol, LLC

Method Products, Pbc

William J Orts

Lennard F Torres

Allison Flynn

Gregory M Glenn

Kaj A Johnson

William Kelly

Syed Hussain Imam

Artur P Klamczynski

William M Hart-Cooper

Mark A Hochwalt

C Steven Sikes

Stephen S Fisher

James D McManus

Bor-Sen Chiou

Tomas Colussi

Robert E Sojka

Adam Slaboski

Lauren E Lynn

Don Swatling

Eliton S Medeiros

Diana M Franqui-Villanueva

Luiz H C Mattoso

Anna C Kundmann

Greg M Glenn

Diana M Franquivillanueva

Dustin Rains

Dirk Develter

Allison Fretwell

Greg Piche

Compositions comprising synergistic blends of organic acids and hydrazones and methods of reducing bacterial and fungal contamination using the blends are disclosed.

Broad-spectrum synergistic antimicrobial compositions

A self-assembled active agent may be formed by a process including covalently bonding at least a first component molecule and a second component molecule, the two component molecules displaying synergy such that the effective amount of the self-assembled active agent is lower than the sum of the effective amounts of the first component molecule and the second component molecule. The component molecules may be chosen such that the covalent bonding is reversible, for example through a hydrazone bond between an amine and an aldehyde. The active agent may thus have controllable activity such as an antimicrobial agent, a biocide, an antiviral agent, a preservative, an antifouling agent, a disinfectant, or a sensor agent, such as for a particular molecule or for pH.

Self-assembled active agents

Stereocomplex biopolymer compositions having tunable and improved mechanical properties and methods of making such compositions are disclosed. The biopolymer compositions include combinations of a matrix-forming polylactic acid comprising an essentially pure enantiomer and a tough polyester to form a polylactic acid matrix. The polylactic acid matrix is further combined with a base polylactic acid comprising an essentially pure opposite enantiomer of the first essentially pure enantiomer of the matrix-forming polylactic acid to form the stereocomplex.

High heat deflection temperature polylactic acids with tunable flexibility and toughness

L-Polylactic acid and D-Polylactic acid biodegradable biopolymers are combined with torrefied biomass and a plasticizer to create a biodegradable cardstock composition. The biodegradable cardstock composition provides an alternative to conventional plastic cardstocks, which are manufactured using petroleum-based materials such polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polystyrene (PS). The biodegradable cardstock described herein can be incorporated into a variety of end products such as key cards, driver licenses, security badges, calling cards, and other plastic cards, including those that have a magnetic strip containing stored data such as credit and debit cards.

Biodegrable cardstock composition

A bioderived plasticizer for biopolymers includes a compatibilizing unit and a polyester plasticizing unit. The plasticizer improves the flexibility of biopolymers while not adversely affecting the modulus of the biopolymer. The compatibilizing unit renders the plasticizer more miscible with the desired base biopolymer, and may increase crystallization and includes a lower alkyl (C3 to C) organic acid including enantiomeric isomers of the base polymer. The polyester plasticizing unit is formed from monomers comprising a multifunctional alcohol and an aliphatic anhydride or its equivalent dicarboxylic acid and ester derivatives. The polyester plasticizing unit may optionally include one or more difunctional alcohols in combination with the multifunctional alcohol. The resulting bioderived plasticizer lowers glass transition temperature (Tg), can improve brittleness, may increases heat deflection temperature and improves melt viscosity.

Bioderived compatibilizer for biopolymers

The cereal-based charcoal binder utilizes unrefined non-corn whole grains to replace the conventional cornstarch binder in solid charcoal fuels. The whole grain material is ground up, mixed with water, gelatinized, and then mixed with at least one dry ingredient to produce the solid charcoal fuel product.

Cereal-based charcoal binder

The present invention relates to a solution blow spinning method for the production of nonwoven webs of micro and nanofibers.

Solution blow spinning

The biopolymer additive, in combination with water, functions as a soil conditioner that affects soil erosion and water infiltration. The biopolymer additive is derived from complex galactomannon-rich succulent plants. The succulent-derived (biopolymer) additive (SDA) may be used alone or in combination with polymers and copolymers of polyacrylamide (PAM). The combination of the SDA and PAM has a synergistic effect so that the resulting composition yields unexpected results and is a more effective treatment than either SDA or the PAM alone.

Biopolymer additive

Growing community of inventors

Burlingame, CA, United States of America

William J Orts