Blends small-grained starch and starch-based materials with synthetic polymers for increased strength and other properties

摘要

Blends of a starch or starch-based material with a polymeric material are described herein, wherein the starch or starch-based material is intimately mixed with the polymeric material to form a very small particle size (e.g., less than 2 μm or less than 1 μm). This intimate dispersion of very small particles provides much more uniformly dispersed particles throughout the matrix of the polymeric material, which can improve the various performance properties of the mixed composite material. Methods for making articles from such blends exhibiting such small particles and good dispersion are also disclosed.