Biodegradable netting
View Patent ↗The present invention provides a biodegradable extruded netting. The netting comprises a plurality of interconnected strands with at least some of the strands comprising a biodegradable composition comprising polylactic acid polymer and biodegradable plasticizer. In at least one embodiment, at least 10% of the strands are made of the biodegradable composition. The present invention also relates to a method for making biodegradable extruded netting. The method comprises extruding strands of polymeric material to form a netting wherein at least some of the strands are formed of the biodegradable composition.
1. A biodegradable extruded netting, said netting comprising a plurality of oriented interconnected extruded strands that intersect during extrusion, at least some of the strands comprising a biodegradable composition comprising polylactic acid polymer and biodegradable plasticizer.
2. The netting of claim 1 wherein at least 50% of the strands are made of the biodegradable composition.
3. The netting of claim 1 wherein essentially 100% of the strands are made of the biodegradable composition.
4. The netting of claim 1 wherein the biodegradable composition comprises 5 to 95 weight percent polylactic acid polymer and 5 to 95 weight percent biodegradable plasticizer.
5. The netting of claim 1 wherein the biodegradable composition comprises 50 to 95 weight percent polylactic acid polymer and 10 to 60 weight percent biodegradable plasticizer.
6. The netting of claim 5 wherein the biodegradable composition has a tensile modulus of 200,000 to 440,000 psi, as measured in accordance with ASTM: D 638.
7. The netting of claim 5 wherein the polylactic acid polymer has a tensile modulus of 475,000 to 750,000 psi, as measured in accordance with ASTM: D 638.
8. The netting of claim 7 wherein the polylactic acid polymer has a number average molecular weight of 25,000 to 200,000.
9. The netting of claim 5 wherein the biodegradable plasticizer comprises biodegradable polyester.
10. The netting of claim 9 wherein the biodegradable polyester comprises a biodegradable aliphatic-aromatic copolyester.
11. The netting of claim 10 wherein the biodegradable polyester comprises a diol-dicarboxylic acid condensation-type polyester.
12. The netting of claim 11 wherein the diol-dicarboxylic acid condensation-type polyester contain constitutive components of an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid, an aromatic dicarboxylic acid, and an aliphatic diol, wherein the polyester has a tensile modulus of 1,000 to 75,000 psi, as measured according to ASTM: D 638, and a weight average molecular weight of 100,000 to 500,000.
13. The netting of claim 1 further comprising an amount of polyolefin present in an amount of no more than 20 weight percent.
14. A composite, said composite comprising:
the netting of claim 1 , the netting having a first side and a second side, opposite the first side; and
a first layer of material secured to the first side of the netting.
15. The composite of claim 14 further comprising a second layer of material secured to the second side of the netting.
16. The netting of claim 1 wherein the netting comprises an erosion control netting.
17. The netting of claim 1 wherein the netting comprises a hay bale wrap netting.
18. The netting of claim 1 wherein the biodegradable netting is biaxially oriented after extrusion.
19. The netting of claim 1 wherein the netting has a basis weight of 10 to 50 lbs./1000 square feet.
20. The netting of claim 19 wherein the oriented interconnected strands are biaxially oriented.
21. The netting of claim 19 wherein the netting has a machine direction tensile to break strength of 1 to 25 pounds/strand.
22. The netting of claim 21 wherein the netting has a cross direction tensile to break strength of 1 to 25 pounds/strand.
23. The netting of claim 1 wherein the strands of the netting have an average thickness of 10 to 50 mils.
24. The netting of claim 23 wherein the netting has a machine direction strand per inch of 1 to 10 strands/inch and a cross direction strand per inch of 1 to 6 strands/inch.
25. A biodegradable extruded netting, said netting comprising a plurality of interconnected extruded strands that intersect during extrusion, at least some of the strands comprising a biodegradable composition having a tensile modulus of 200,000 to 440,000 psi and comprising 5 to 95 weight percent polylactic acid polymer and 5 to 95 weight percent biodegradable aliphatic-aromatic copolyester plasticizer, when the polymer has a tensile modulus of 475,000 to 750,000 psi and the plasticizer has a tensile modulus of 1,000 to 75,000 psi.