Biofoam
Abstract
Biofoam is a rigid, opaque microcellular organic foam made from organic materials derived from natural products and biological organisms. Typical organic materials are agar, agarose, gelatin, algin, alginates, gellan gum, and microcrystalline cellulose. The organic material is dissolved in a polar solvent, typically water, and the solution can be gelled immediately. The gel is frozen and freeze-dried to form the biofoam. Alternatively, a nonpolar solvent is added to the solution and emulsified. The resulting emulsion is then gelled, frozen, and freeze-dried. A variety of crystalline, fibrous, or metallic additives may be added to produce lightweight composite materials with enhanced strength and insulating properties. The amount of dilution of the organic material in the solvent(s) determines the density of the resulting biofoams, which ranges from about 1.0 mg/cm.sup.3 to about 500 mg/cm.sup.3.
- Inventors:
-
- Modesto, CA
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 869706
- Patent Number(s):
- 5382285
- Assignee:
- Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
C - CHEMISTRY C08 - ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS C08J - WORKING-UP
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- biofoam; rigid; opaque; microcellular; organic; foam; materials; derived; natural; products; biological; organisms; typical; agar; agarose; gelatin; algin; alginates; gellan; gum; microcrystalline; cellulose; material; dissolved; polar; solvent; typically; water; solution; gelled; immediately; frozen; freeze-dried; form; alternatively; nonpolar; added; emulsified; resulting; emulsion; variety; crystalline; fibrous; metallic; additives; produce; lightweight; composite; enhanced; strength; insulating; properties; amount; dilution; determines; density; biofoams; ranges; mg; cm; 500; materials derived; nonpolar solvent; crystalline cellulose; polar solvent; composite materials; organic materials; composite material; organic material; organic foam; typically water; insulating properties; microcrystalline cellulose; microcellular organic; composite mat; natural products; enhanced strength; gellan gum; omposite materials; produce light; biological organisms; /106/
Citation Formats
Morrison, Robert L. Biofoam. United States: N. p., 1995.
Web.
Morrison, Robert L. Biofoam. United States.
Morrison, Robert L. Sun .
"Biofoam". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/869706.
@article{osti_869706,
title = {Biofoam},
author = {Morrison, Robert L},
abstractNote = {Biofoam is a rigid, opaque microcellular organic foam made from organic materials derived from natural products and biological organisms. Typical organic materials are agar, agarose, gelatin, algin, alginates, gellan gum, and microcrystalline cellulose. The organic material is dissolved in a polar solvent, typically water, and the solution can be gelled immediately. The gel is frozen and freeze-dried to form the biofoam. Alternatively, a nonpolar solvent is added to the solution and emulsified. The resulting emulsion is then gelled, frozen, and freeze-dried. A variety of crystalline, fibrous, or metallic additives may be added to produce lightweight composite materials with enhanced strength and insulating properties. The amount of dilution of the organic material in the solvent(s) determines the density of the resulting biofoams, which ranges from about 1.0 mg/cm.sup.3 to about 500 mg/cm.sup.3.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1995},
month = {1}
}