IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,163,141
Granted Patent B2
US 9,163,141 · App. 11/429,775 · Granted Oct 20, 2015

Polymeric blend comprising polylactic acid

Inventors: Michael L. Becraft (Greer, SC); Paul A. Hughes (Greenville, SC); Slawomir Opuszko (Duncan, SC)
Assignee: Cryovac, Inc.
C08L67/04C08L23/08C08L23/14C08L77/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,163,141
App. No.
11/429,775
Granted
Oct 20, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A blend comprises at least 50 wt. % polylactic acid and at least 5 wt. % of polymer selected from one or more of: (i) ethylene/unsaturated ester copolymer having an unsaturated ester comonomer content of at least about 30% based on the weight of the ethylene/unsaturated ester copolymer; (ii) modified ethylene/unsaturated ester copolymer; (iii) polyetheramide block copolymer; (iv) propylene/ethylene copolymer comprising at least about 12% and at most about 16% ethylene monomer content based on the weight of the propylene/ethylene copolymer; and (v) styrenic block copolymer. An article such as a tray, film, or sheet may comprise the blend.

Claims (31)

1. A blend comprising:

at least 50%, by weight of the blend, of polylactic acid; and

at least 5%, by weight of the blend, of polymer selected from one or more of:

(i) ethylene/unsaturated ester copolymer having an unsaturated ester comonomer content of at least about 30% based on the weight of the ethylene/unsaturated ester copolymer, wherein the unsaturated ester comonometer comprises vinyl ester of aliphatic carboxylic acid comonometer where the ester has from 4 to 12 carbon atoms;

(ii) modified ethylene/unsaturated ester copolymer;

(iii) polyetheramide block copolymer;

(iv) propylene/ethylene copolymer comprising at least about 12% and at most about 16% ethylene monomer content based on the weight of the propylene/ethylene copolymer; and

(v) styrenic block copolymer.

2. The blend of claim 1 comprising at most about 50%, by weight of the blend, of the polymer.

3. The blend of claim 1 comprising at most about 20%, by weight of the blend, of the polymer.

4. The blend of claim 1 comprising at least about 80%, by weight of the blend, of the polylactic acid.

5. The blend of claim 1 comprising at least 5%, by weight of the blend, of ethylene/unsaturated ester copolymer having an unsaturated ester comonomer content of at least about 30%, based on the weight of the ethylene/unsaturated ester copolymer.

6. The blend of claim 5 wherein the ethylene/unsaturated ester copolymer comprises at least about 30% vinyl acetate comonomer content based on the weight of the ethylene/unsaturated ester copolymer.

7. The blend of claim 5 wherein the ethylene/unsaturated ester copolymer comprises at least about 40% vinyl acetate comonomer content based on the weight of the ethylene/unsaturated ester copolymer.

8. The blend of claim 1 wherein the blend comprises at least 5%, by weight of the blend, of modified ethylene/unsaturated ester copolymer.

9. The blend of claim 8 wherein the modified ethylene/unsaturated ester copolymer comprises at least about 15% vinyl acetate comonomer content based on the weight of the ethylene/unsaturated ester copolymer.

10. The blend of claim 8 wherein the modified ethylene/unsaturated ester copolymer comprises at least about 30% vinyl acetate comonomer content based on the weight of the ethylene/unsaturated ester copolymer.

11. The blend of claim 1 comprising at least 5%, by weight of the blend, of polyetheramide block copolymer.

12. The blend of claim 11 wherein the polymer is polyetheramide block copolymer having a melting point of at most about 210° C.

13. The blend of claim 11 wherein the polymer is polyetheramide block copolymer having a melting point of at most about 160° C.

14. The blend of claim 1 wherein the blend comprises at least 5%, by weight of the blend, of propylene/ethylene copolymer comprising at least about 12% and at most about 16% ethylene monomer content based on the weight of the propylene/ethylene copolymer.

15. The blend of claim 14 wherein the propylene/ethylene copolymer is homogeneous.

16. The blend of claim 1 comprising at least 5%, by weight of the blend, of styrenic block copolymer.

17. The blend of claim 16 wherein the styrenic block copolymer is selected from one or more of styrene/butadiene/styrene copolymer, styrene/isoprene/styrene copolymer, styrene/ethylene-butylene/styrene copolymer, styrene/ethylene-propylene/styrene, and styrene/ethylene-propylene copolymer.

18. The blend of claim 16 wherein the styrenic block copolymer has a styrene comonomer content of at most about 40 wt. %, based on the weight of the styrenic block copolymer.

19. The blend of claim 16 wherein the styrenic block copolymer is styrene/butadiene/styrene copolymer having a butadiene comonomer content of at least about 60 wt. %, based on the weight of the styrene/butadiene/styrene copolymer.

20. The article comprising the blend of claim 1

21. The article of claim 20 wherein the article is a tray.

22. The article of claim 20 wherein the article is a tray and the blend forms a surface of the tray.

23. The article of claim 20 wherein the article is a film.

24. The article of claim 20 wherein the article is a multilayer film comprising at least one layer comprising the blend that is directly adhered to a layer comprising polyolefin.

Assignments (6)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 13, 2026
From: SEALED AIR CORPORATION; CRYOVAC, LLC; SHANKLIN CORPORATION; SEALED AIR IP HOLDINGS, LLC; SEALED AIR CORPORATION (US)
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 075384/0016 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 10, 2026
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS AGENT
To: CRYOVAC, LLC
Reel/Frame 075376/0973 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 9, 2026
From: SEALED AIR CORPORATION; CRYOVAC, LLC; SHANKLIN CORPORATION; SEALED AIR IP HOLDINGS, LLC; SEALED AIR CORPORATION (US)
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 075378/0512 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 7, 2025
From: CRYOVAC, INC.
To: CRYOVAC, LLC
Reel/Frame 073507/0044 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 31, 2025
From: CRYOVAC, LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 073428/0495 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 19, 2006
From: BECRAFT, MICHAEL L.; HUGHES, PAUL A.; OPUSKO, SLAWOMIR
To: CRYOVAC, INC.
Reel/Frame 018065/0940 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 60795633 · Apr 27, 2006
Related Publication 20070255013A1 · Nov 1, 2007