Bio-Fed adds engineering plastics to portfolio

Until now the Cologne-based company’s activities were centred primarily on products for film applications and individual products in the injection moulding sector, with a strong focus on the biodegradability of the products. The new M*VERA ECS product line represents a first venture into the development of a PA 6.10.
“PA 6.10 fulfils the standard definition of a bioplastic since it is made up of approximately 60 percent renewable resources”, says Roland Andernach, Product Manager at BIO-FED. Castor oil from the seeds of the castor oil plant (Ricinuns communis) forms the basis of sebacic acid, which in turn serves as the basis for the product’s renewable raw material content.
Unlike the previous products in the M*VERA line, the ECS products are not only partially biobased, but as they are targeted at technical applications, they are also not biodegradable
The material’s carbon footprint remains, however, more favourable overall than that of polymers entirely of fossil origin. This is due to the fact that the plant-based raw materials have already removed CO? from the environment during their growth phase. And since neither the seeds of the castor oil plant nor the castor oil extracted from them are used as food, there is no conflict with the food industry.
“M*VERA^® ECS claims its place in the market as a technical polymer, since it is characterised by greater resistance to highly aggressive media and hot water compared with PA 6/PA 6.6. PA 6.10, for example, absorbs approximately 50% less moisture than PA 6, exhibits greater dimensional stability, and has better cold impact resistance and an excellent surface finish”, commented Andernach.
From a technical standpoint, this material closes the gap between PA 6/PA 6.6 and PA 12. Yet the product’s working properties still correspond to those of a PA 6.


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