VERFAHREN ZUR HERSTELLUNG SCHUETTFAEHIGER, KUGELSEGMENTFOERMIGER PACKMATERIALKOERPER MIT AUSSEN KONVEXER UND INNEN KONKAVER OBERFLAECHE

摘要

The description relates to the use of a nucleation agent in a process for the production of loose-fill packing from starch. The nucleation agent is applied to the surface of starch granulates in finely divided form in quantities of 0.1 to 0.2 % of the weight of the granulates and in a grain size of about 50 mu . The granulates thus coated with nucleation agent are taken to an extruder (14) in which they are converted from their solid to a viscous fluid state so that a starch foam produced by the decomposition of the nucleation agent with the action of heat in the extruder (14) is extruded from the moulding aperture (15) of an extruder (14) and cut off directly at the moulding aperture (15) even before any substantial expansion has taken place. The starch particles (18) thus formed are taken into a storage container and, after intermediate storage, expanded to their final size in a post-expansion unit (23).