Patents by Inventor Andrea Lee Brosch

Andrea Lee Brosch has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6506873
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a fibrous material which includes a plurality of polylactide containing fibers. The plurality of polylactide containing fibers can be considered low shrinkage or high shrinkage. The plurality of polylactide containing fibers are considered low shrinkage fibers if they provide a boiling water shrinkage propensity of less than about 20%. The plurality of polylactide containing fibers are considered high shrink fibers if they provide an average fiber boiling water shrinkage propensity of greater than about 10% and a heat of fusion of less than about 25 J/g. The invention additionally relates to the use of an extrusion process to provide low shrinkage fibers and high shrinkage fibers. The invention further relates to the use of these fibers in desirable products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2003
    Assignee: Cargill, Incorporated
    Inventors: Christopher Michael Ryan, Nancy Uzelac Buehler, Scott Louis Gessner, Andrea Lee Brosch
  • Patent number: 6312823
    Abstract: A compostable multilayer film includes a core layer having a first surface and a second surface, a first blocking reducing layer covering the first surface of the core layer, and a second blocking reducing layer covering the second surface of the core layer. The core layer comprises a lactic acid residue-containing polymer having a glass transition temperature (Tg) below 20° C. At least one of the first and second blocking reducing layers comprise a semicrystalline aliphatic polyester. The core layer may be peroxide modified polylactide polymer which exhibits bridging between polylactide polymer chains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Cargrill, Incorporated
    Inventors: Ali Zakareya El-Afandi, Patrick Richard Gruber, Jeffrey John Kolstad, James Lunt, Christopher M. Ryan, James Zakareya Nangeroni, Nancy Uzelac Buehler, Mark Hartmann, Jed Richard Randall, Andrea Lee Brosch
  • Patent number: 6291597
    Abstract: A composition comprising a polylactide polymer with improved extensional viscosity and methods of making the same are disclosed. The polylactide polymer composition is prepared by providing in the composition polylactide polymer molecules which have been modified, relative to linear non-substituted polylactide, to provide increased molecular interaction among polylactide backbone chains in the composition. The preferred polylactide polymer composition has a number average molecular weight of at least about 10,000 (preferably at least 50,000) and a polydispersity of at least about 2.5. In addition, the polylactide polymer composition should have a neck-in ratio of less than about 0.8.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Cargill, Incorporated
    Inventors: Patrick Richard Gruber, Jeffrey John Kolstad, David Roy Witzke, Mark Henry Hartmann, Andrea Lee Brosch
  • Patent number: 5998552
    Abstract: A composition comprising a polylactide polymer with improved extensional viscosity and methods of making the same are disclosed. The polylactide polymer composition is prepared by providing in the composition polylactide polymer molecules which have been modified, relative to linear non-substituted polylactide, to provide increased molecular interaction among polylactide backbone chains in the composition. The preferred polylactide polymer composition has a number average molecular weight of at least about 10,000 (preferably at least 50,000) and a polydispersity of at least about 2.5. In addition, the polylactide polymer composition should have a neck-in ratio of less than about 0.8.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 7, 1999
    Assignee: Cargill, Incorporated
    Inventors: Patrick Richard Gruber, Jeffrey John Kolstad, David Roy Witzke, Mark Henry Hartmann, Andrea Lee Brosch
  • Patent number: 5849374
    Abstract: A compostable multilayer structure in the form of a film, sheet, laminate, and the like, which comprises a core layer having a first surface and a second surface, a first blocking reducing layer covering the first surface of the core layer, and a second blocking reducing layer covering the second surface of the core layer. The core layer contains a lactic acid residue-containing polymer and has a glass transition temperature (T.sub.g) below about 20.degree. C. The first and second blocking reducing layers include a polymer composition of a hydrolyzable polymer and have a T.sub.g above about 50.degree. C. The multilayer structure can be used for preparing bags and wrappers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1998
    Assignee: Cargill, Incorporated
    Inventors: Patrick R. Gruber, Jeffrey John Kolstad, James Lunt, Christopher M. Ryan, Ali Zakareya El-Afandi, James Nangeroni, Nancy Uzelac Buehler, Mark Hartmann, Jed Richard Randall, Andrea Lee Brosch
  • Patent number: 5849401
    Abstract: A compostable multilayer film includes a core layer having a first surface and a second surface, a first blocking reducing layer covering the first surface of the core layer, and a second blocking reducing core layer comprises a lactic acid residue-containing polymer having a glass transition temperature (Tg) below 20.degree. C. The first and second blocking reducing layers comprise a semicrystalline aliphatic polyester. The hydrolyzable polymer and have a T.sub.g above about 50.degree. C. The multilayer structure can be used for preparing bags and wrappers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1998
    Assignee: Cargill, Incorporated
    Inventors: Ali Zakareya El-Afandi, Patrick Richard Gruber, Jeffrey John Kolstad, James Lunt, Christopher M. Ryan, James Zakareya Nangeroni, Nancy Uzelac Buehler, Mark Hartmann, Jed Richard Randall, Andrea Lee Brosch
  • Patent number: 5798435
    Abstract: A composition comprising a polylactide polymer with improved extensional viscosity and methods of making the same are disclosed. The polylactide polymer composition is prepared by providing in the composition polylactide polymer molecules which have been modified, relative to linear non-substituted polylactide, to provide increased molecular interaction among polylactide backbone chains in the composition. The preferred polylactide polymer composition has a number average molecular weight of at least about 10,000 (preferably at least 50,000) and a polydispersity of at least about 2.5. In addition, the polylactide polymer composition should have a neck-in ratio of less than about 0.8.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 25, 1998
    Assignee: Cargill, Incorporated
    Inventors: Patrick Richard Gruber, Jeffrey John Kolstad, David Roy Witzke, Mark Henry Hartmann, Andrea Lee Brosch