Fibres constitute between 40 and 50% of the total weight of cereal plants.
Their composition in celluloses, hemicelluloses and lignins, as well as their forms, vary depending on the parts and the botanic origin of the plant.
Combined with the starch and protein thermoplastic matrix, fibres are reinforcers that improve the mechanical properties of the pieces made with VEGEMAT^®.

Starch is the majority chemical constituent of cereal plants. Concentrated in seeds as granules, it comes from the transformation of sugars by the amyloplasts.
Starch contains thermoplastic properties that are obtained by destructuring the native granule in the presence of a solute (softening agent) under thermo-mechanical constraints.
The destructuration gives rise to a homogeneous thermoplastic starch mixture (Thermo Plastic Starch TPS) which may be shaped using traditional plastics processing techniques (injection, extrusion).

Proteins constitute between 5 and 10% of the total dry mass of cereal plants.

These are heteropolymers, whose monomers are amino acids, grouped together by peptide bonds to form complex tri-dimensional structures.

Similar to starch, proteins have thermoplastic properties that are obtained once they have been denatured and plasticized. Combined with starch, proteins form the VEGEMAT^® thermoplastic matrix.

Lipids constitute between 2 and 4% of the total dry mass of cereal plants.
They are essentially contained in the germ of the seed and in the leaves as waterproofing waxes.
Their lubricating action plays a role in obtaining VEGEMAT^® manufactured pieces.

Additives are plasticizers and lubricants of natural origin.
They ensure the technical feasibility of VEGEMAT^® without altering its biodegradability.