WO-2026093654-A1 - A COMPOSITION, PREPARATION PROCESS, AND PRODUCT

Abstract

The invention relates to an composition, and a preparation process thereof. The composition comprises biomass and one or more binders comprising synthetic polymer, biopolymer, terpenoid, or any combination thereof, and optionally one or more additives, wherein the biomass is incorporated into a matrix of the one or more binders and the optional one or more additives. The invention further relates to products comprising said composition.

Inventors

• TIKKA, Sauli
• JENSEN, RICHARD
• JENSEN, Fredrik
• JENSEN, HENRIK
• JENSEN, Camilla

Assignees

• Ruokomestarit - Premium Finnish Reed Oy

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20251030

Priority Date

20241030

Claims (20)

1. 1. A composition comprising biomass and one or more binders comprising synthetic polymer, biopolymer, terpenoid, or any combination thereof, and optionally one or more additives, wherein the biomass is incorporated into a matrix of the one or more binders and the optional one or more additives.
2. 2. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the biomass is selected from the group comprising reed, sedge, cork, coconut, hemp, grass, cellulose, reed, hay, straw, and any combination thereof.
3. 3. The composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the synthetic polymer is selected from the group comprising poly(lactic acid) (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polybutylene succinate (PBS), polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), polycaprolactone (PCL), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate- co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), polyacrylates, polyurethanes, and any combination thereof.
4. 4. The composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the biopolymer is lignin or lignin derivative, preferably wherein the biopolymer is lignin derivative selected from lignosulfonate, sulfonated lignin, lignin subjected to hydrothermal carbonization treatment, i.e., HTC lignin, and a combination thereof.
5. 5. The composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the biopolymer is a polysaccharide selected from the group comprising starch, chitosan, pectin, and any combination thereof; or wherein the biopolymer is natural latex.
6. 6. The composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the biopolymer is a fatty acid polyester, preferably suberin.
7. 7. The composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the terpenoid is betulin.
8. 8. The composition according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising one or more additives, the one or more additives being selected from the group comprising plasticizers, coupling agents, processability agents, compatibility enhancers, stiffeners, flame-retardants, and any combinations thereof; and/or wherein the one or more additives comprise eggshells, snail shells or seashells.
9. 9. The composition according to claim 8, wherein the plasticizer is selected from the group comprising glycerol, polyethylene glycol, and any combination thereof.
10. 10. The composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the coupling agent and/or compatibility enhancer are individually selected from the group comprising maleic anhydride, silane, titanate, zirconate, and any combination thereof.
11. 11. The composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the composition has a density of > 1000 kg/m 3
12. 12. The composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the biomass is arranged in the form of pellets, whereby the composition comprises the biomass pellets encapsulated in the matrix of the one or more binders and the optional one or more additives.
13. 13. The composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the composition is arranged as a biocomposite, wherein the biocomposite comprises biomass and the one or more binders, and optionally the one or more additives, in the form of a homogeneous mass.
14. 14. The composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the composition is arranged in the form of granules, preferably non-spherical granules, wherein the granules have size in the range of 0.5-5 mm, more preferably in the range of 1-5 mm, even more preferably in the range of 1 .5- 4 mm, the size defined as a largest linear dimension of an individual granule.
15. 15. The composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the composition is compostable, preferably industrially compostable according to the European standard EN 14995:2007.
16. 16. The composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the composition comprises the biomass in an amount of 5-95 wt-%, preferably in an amount of 20-60 wt-%, the synthetic polymer in an amount of 0-95 wt-%, preferably in an amount of 5-95 wt-%, more preferably in an amount of 20-80 wt-%, the biopolymer in an amount of 0-95 wt-%, preferably in an amount of 5-95 wt-%, more preferably in an amount of 20-80 wt-%, and optionally the additive in an amount of 0-30 wt-%, preferably in an amount of 0-10 wt-%, more preferably in an amount of 1-8 wt-% of the total weight of the composition.
17. 17. A process for preparing a composition according to any of claims 1 to 16, the process comprising incorporating the biomass into a matrix of one or more binders and optionally one or more additives.
18. 18. The process according to claim 17, wherein the incorporating the biomass into the matrix comprises encapsulating the biomass by a mixture of the one or more binders and optionally the one or more additives.
19. 19. The process according to claim 18, wherein the encapsulating comprises - depositing the mixture of the one or more binders and optionally the one or more additives onto the biomass; or - submerging the biomass into the mixture of the one or more binders and optionally the one or more additives, and wherein the process further comprises drying the mixture of the one or more binders and optionally the one or more additives with the encapsulated biomass to provide the composition.
20. 20. The process according to any of claims 17 to 19, wherein the incorporating the biomass into the matrix comprises forming a biocomposite by mixing the biomass with a mixture of the one or more binders and optionally the one or more additives into a homogeneous mass.

Description

A composition, preparation process, and product Technical field The invention relates to an composition and a preparation process thereof. The composition comprises biomass and one or more binders comprising synthetic polymer, biopolymer, terpenoid, or any combination thereof, and optionally one or more additives. The biomass is incorporated into a matrix of the one or more binders and the optional one or more additives. The invention further relates to products comprising said composition. Background Plastic pollution, i.e. , the accumulation of plastic objects and particles in the environment, is a growing problem that impacts both humans, wildlife and their habitats. Plastic pollution in the oceans has raised particular concern. Conventional plastics are environmentally inert and resistant to natural degradation. They may break into micro-sized particles, i.e., microplastics, that may persist for centuries, contaminating ecosystems and entering the food chain as well as human bodies. The effects of microplastics in living organisms has not yet been extensively studied, and especially the long-term effects are not yet known. However, harmful effects on, e.g., inflammation, DNA damage, and increased cancer risk are already known. Additionally, the reduced supplies of fossil raw materials as well as climate concerns shift industries towards using renewable raw materials and circular economy. This is reflected in, e.g., legislation where the requirement of renewable material sources increases all the time. Biodegradable polymer composite materials have been studied. However, novel materials are needed to meet the environmental requirements and to reduce the plastic pollution globally. Summary An object of the invention is to reduce or overcome the drawbacks in the prior art. Particularly, an object of the invention is to provide a material that meets the environmental standards regarding plastic pollution while still maintaining characteristics required from high-quality plastic materials in, e.g., household plastic products, sports, handheld tools, or composite structures for construction, such as composite board. The invention is defined by what is recited in the independent claims. Embodiments of the invention are presented in the dependent claims. The features recited in the dependent claims and the embodiments in the description are mutually freely combinable unless otherwise explicitly stated. The exemplary embodiments presented in this text and their advantages relate by applicable parts to all aspects of the invention, namely, to the composition, to the process, and to the product, even though this is not always explicitly mentioned. Any embodiments or examples of the invention presented herein that are specified with the open term ‘comprise’ may be further limited with a closed term ‘consisting of’. A composition is provided. The composition comprises biomass and one or more binders. The one or more binders may comprise a synthetic polymer. The one or more binders may comprise a biopolymer, such as lignin or lignin derivative, polysaccharide, natural latex, fatty acid polyester, or any combination thereof. The one or more binders may comprise a terpenoid. The one or more binders may comprise any combination of the synthetic polymer, the biopolymer, and the terpenoid. The composition may optionally comprise one or more additives. In the composition, the biomass is incorporated into a matrix of the one or more binders and the optional one or more additives. The term ‘biopolymer’ refers to natural polymers produced by the cells of living organisms. Typical examples of biopolymers include polynucleotides, polypeptides, polysaccharides, natural latex, i.e., natural rubber, suberin, and lignin. The IIIPAC defines biopolymers as “macromolecules (including proteins, nucleic acids and polysaccharides) formed by living organisms”. The term ‘synthetic polymer’ should be understood as a polymer produced in a facility. Synthetic polymers do not occur in nature. The term 'synthetic polymer' may be used interchangeably with the term ‘artificial polymer’, defined by IIIPAC as “Man-made polymer that is not a biopolymer.” Regenerated biopolymers should in the course of this application be classified together with biopolymers, not with synthetic polymers. Further, a process for preparing a composition is provided. The process comprises incorporating the biomass into a matrix of one or more binders and optionally one or more additives. The presented composition may be compostable. Compostability refers in the course of this specification to industrial compostability according to the European standard EN 14995:2007. Industrial compostability can be defined as the controlled biological decomposition of organic waste under managed conditions that are predominantly aerobic (i.e. in the presence of oxygen) and that allow the development of thermophilic conditions as a result of biologically produced heat. Thermophilic c