Patent ID: 8435354

Claim:
A thermoplastic polymer composition comprising: a water stabilized blend of a. from about 50% to about 85% of thermoplastic destructured starch; and b. from about 5% to about 50% of transesterification products; wherein a polyhydric alcohol initially plasticizes a destructured starch to make said thermoplastic destructured starch; and wherein said transesterification products are formed in situ in the presence of said thermoplastic destructured starch from a chemical reaction in a reactant mixture consisting essentially of: i. polyhydric alcohol having alcohol functional groups; and ii. triglyceride having ester functional groups; said functional groups being present in said reactant mixture in a molar ratio of alcohol functional groups to ester functional groups of from about 1:1 to about 200:1; wherein the starch and the reactant mixture are heated during said chemical reaction at a sufficient temperature and time to eliminate at least a portion of bound water from the starch and drive the chemical reaction between the polyhydric alcohol and the triglyceride to a point to effect the water stability of the thermoplastic polymer composition; and whereby the amount of polyhydric alcohol is reduced to effect water stability of the thermoplastic polymer composition.