	US 11,939,569 B2
	Biodegradable polyester-based polyurethane foams
Jason James Robinson, Toronto (CA); Natalie Beth Ashdown, Toronto (CA); and Gregory Allan Whitton, Etobicoke (CA)
Assigned to EVOCO LTD., Toronto (CA)
Filed by EVOCO LTD., Toronto (CA)
Filed on Feb. 16, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/110,715.
Application 18/110,715 is a continuation of application No. 17/546,433, filed on Dec. 9, 2021, granted, now 11,608,495.
Application 17/546,433 is a continuation of application No. PCT/CA2020/051640, filed on Nov. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/941,980, filed on Nov. 29, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0193236 A1, Jun. 22, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C08G 18/42 (2006.01); C08G 18/76 (2006.01); C12N 11/04 (2006.01); C12N 11/093 (2020.01); C08G 101/00 (2006.01)

CPC C12N 11/093 (2020.01) [C08G 18/4238 (2013.01); C08G 18/7671 (2013.01); C12N 11/04 (2013.01); C08G 2101/00 (2013.01); C08G 2110/0008 (2021.01); C08G 2110/005 (2021.01); C08G 2110/0058 (2021.01); C08G 2110/0066 (2021.01)]

21 Claims

1. A method of producing a biodegradable foam, comprising:

a) mixing polyester polyol with

i) one or more catalysts,

ii) water, and

iii) soil-dwelling carbon-digesting bacteria, or a soil-dwelling carbon digesting bacteria embedded in a carrier compound to produce a mixture, and

b) mixing isocyanate into said mixture to induce a chemical reaction between the isocyanate and the water to produce carbon dioxide gas, and simultaneously induce a chemical reaction between the isocyanate and the polyester polyol to produce a polyester based polyurethane polymer with carbon dioxide bubbles trapped within to produce said biodegradable polyester-based polyurethane foam, said biodegradable polyester-based polyurethane foam characterized in that it exhibits biodegradation rates which are higher than the same polyester-based polyurethane foam absent the soil-dwelling carbon-digesting bacteria.