| abstract |
Prodn. of shaped packing material from organic materials, partic. for packaging foodstuffs is claimed. Materials are a cellulosic low-value vegetable material, a starchy low-value vegetable material or a low-value proteinaceous animal product. The material is kneaded with water, shaped into the packaging form and dried. The drying action is pref. through the application of heat. The pref. group of cellulose vegetable materials includes shells, bran, husks, barley awns, fibres, spent hops, finely ground straw, sawdust. The pref. starchy materials include flour residue and ground horse chestnuts. The pref. materials contg. protein are blood and blood plasma as byproducts from slaughterhouses, bone jelly from meat waste or milk protein as a cheese waste product. The water used is augmented by sodium chloride or an acid, an alkali earth, and a pigment. A water impermeable coating is applied to the packaging surface, partic. the inner side, pref. of gum arabic or a film of grease. The pref. packaging material contains 30-50% of a cellulosic type material and 30-70% of a starchy and/or proteinaceous material. ADVANTAGE - The method gives a bio-degradable packaging material. |