Abstract: This relates to a die assembly for extruding tubular casing films wherein there are counter-rotating die members. One of the die members is mounted for shifting relative to its base under the influence of hydrodynamic pressures of the flowing extrudate so as to be self-centering relative to the other die member. This provides for a high shear cylindrical area leading into the die orifice which is of uniform thickness and which will provide for uniform fiber orientation due to the zero runout of the rotating dies.

Abstract: An apparatus for noodling a gelating dispersion which continuously gels and noodles the gelatin dispersion and supplies noodles of the dispersion into cold water in a washing tank, said apparatus comprising a means for supplying a predetermined quantity of said dispersion to an extruder at a predetermined pressure, said extruder comprising a plurality of supply nozzles that extend from a receiving chamber for said dispersion which are preferably made of a material having higher thermal conductivity than the walls of the chamber, and a washing tank to which cold water has free access, the supply nozzles of said extruder being so arranged as to be immersed in the cold water in said washing tank, to thereby promote gelation of said dispersion flowing down through each of said nozzles and to form firmer and stabler noodles.

Abstract: Soft contact lenses are made from solubilized, defatted, transparent, cross-linked collagen, and/or chemically-modified collagen.

Abstract: After curing pig skins with hydrochloric acid, they are ground and then homogenized to a gel. The gel is extruded into a coagulating and tanning bath containing glutaraldehyde in a saturated sodium chloride solution to obtain a coagulated and tanned casing which is thereafter passed into a plasticizing bath containing glycerol and an oxidizing agent.

Abstract: Apparatus for forming a proteinaceous mass into a fibrous and layered structure, including imparting a gross fibrous structure to the mass by passing the mass through a helical conveyor and layering the fibrous structure by extruding the same through an annular slot and into a radial opening, the compression and extrusion being carried out at elevated temperature to heat set the mass.

Abstract: In a method for producing formed collagen structures from collagen compositions, the structures are dewatered before the final drying step, by being passed through a bath containing water soluble anionic polysaccharides that are naturally occurring or formed by de-esterification of polysaccharide esters.Collagen products containing the polysaccharides of this invention are generally obtained by the extrusion of collagen compositions into tubular structures that may be used as casings in the processing of food products such as sausages, frankfurters, and the like.

Abstract: Stretched fibers or fibrils from single-cell dopes are prepared by extruding the dope into a moving coagulating bath wherein the fluid motion of the bath causes the extrudate to gradually stretch. The resultant stretched fibers are useful as textured food products.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for preparing fibrous materials by wet method. Fibrous materials with excellent properties can be obtained by feeding the starting solution to the interface area of two phases of the coagulation bath.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process and apparatus for texturizing protein products wherein a protein dough containing a heat coagulable protein is passed through a screw conveyor that has an internal conveying section which changes in configuration such that the dough is stretched during passage through the conveyor, while at the same time is heated to a temperature above the heat coagulation temperature of the protein to ultimately provide a meat-like fiber structure wherein the fibers are aligned.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for the treatment of spun protein fibers which comprises carrying out one or more of the fiber coagulation, fiber stretching, fiber neutralizing or washing steps in a treatment bath fluid which contains as treating agents for the fibers, one or more of the following: a nitrogen-containing organic acid or salt or nitrogen-containing organic buffering agent, which may or may not be permitted to remain in the finished fibers, in a concentration effective to provide the principal buffering capacity in the treatment bath fluid.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for preparing a film having asymmetric cross-sectional structure by wet method. Films with excellent properties can be obtained by feeding the starting solution to the interface area of two phases of the coagulation bath to make said solution into a gel.

Abstract: A new method for producing high-strength films, fibers and other shaped articles from chitin has been discovered, whereby an anhydrous solution of chitin is made into the desired shape, the chitin is insolubilized with an organic non-solvent for the chitin and the resultant shaped article, if desired, is oriented, by cold drawing until its properties, such as tensile strength, are substantially enhanced. The films, fibers, and other shaped articles capable of being oriented or in oriented form, are novel and useful in such applications as food wrap and surgical sutures.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for the production of a shaped article of a plastic material of chemically modified protein, which comprises mixing an alkaline aqueous protein solution with an aqueous solution of an organic tetrafunctional, unsaturated compound of the general formula ##STR1## in which R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are hydrogen or an alkyl group with 1 to 6 carbon atoms, andR.sub.3 is the group --(CH.sub.2).sub.n --, n being an integer from 1 to 8, or the group ##STR2## in which R.sub.4 is an alkyl group with 1 to 18 carbon atoms, SPINNING THE RESULTING VISCOUS LIQUID READY FOR SPINNING BY MEANS OF A SHAPING DIE INTO A PRECIPITATING LIQUID, WASHING THE SHAPED ARTICLE WITH A WASHING LIQUID, CAUSING AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION OF AN ORGANIC, SATURATED, AT LEAST BIFUNCTIONAL COMPOUND TO ACT ON THE ARTICLE, HEATING THE ARTICLE, OPTIONALLY CAUSING PLASTICIZER LIQUID TO ACT ON IT, AND DRYING.

Abstract: An improved process for tanning edible collagen food casings wherein the coagulated and washed collagen casing is exposed to a tanning bath which is free of aluminum chelating reagents and contains a mixture of aluminum ammonium sulfate, as A1NH.sub.4 (SO.sub.4).sub.2. 12H.sub.2 O and monobasic aluminum sulfate (A10HSO.sub.4), the concentration of the aluminum ammonium sulfate in the bath being less than 3% by weight and the molar ratio of aluminum ammonium sulfate to monobasic aluminum sulfate being in the range of 1:2 to 2:1.

Abstract: A method for making a film in which bead formation along opposite longitudinal edges thereof is at least minimized by extruding into a setting bath a generally flat stream of coagulable solution with the longitudinal edges of such stream each having a concave contour and being free to deform into a rounded contour under the influence of the interfacial surface tension forces acting upon the extruded stream of coagulable solution during the setting thereof.

Abstract: Wet spun proteinaceous filaments are prepared from pulverized, functional defatted leguminous materials having a protein content of about 45 to about 55 percent, by forming an aqueous slurry thereof to extract proteins and carbohydrates, precipitating the protein onto and into the insoluble portion of the leguminous material, separating the solids from the liquid portion of the slurry, forming an aqueous alkaline spinning dope with the separated solids and forcing the spinning dope through a spinneret into an acid and salt coagulating bath to form proteinaceous filaments.