bioplastics MAGAZINE Issue 03/2010

At the recent International Congress on Bio-based Plastics and Composites, the first prize of the Innovation Award for Bio - based Material and Application of the Year 2010 was awarded to PROGANIC® (see p. 6). The award by the nova-Institute and sponsored by Coperion GmbH recognises the outstanding work undertaken by Propper® GmbH in bringing Proganic to the customer and to Industry.

An article about the basics of bio-polyamides (or, more correctly biobased polyamides) should start with the very basics of polyamides in general. This will help towards a better understanding of this class of materials.

There is no judging panel, it is the group of conference delegates who vote for the winners of the competition ‘Bio-based Material of the Year’ at the 3rd International Congress on Bio-based Plastics and Composites.

Canada’s largest fiberglass boat builder, Campion Marine Inc., (Kelowna, British Columbia), is bringing improved environmental performance to its customers by being the first boat builder in the world to manufacture all of its boats with Envirez® bio-derived resin from Ashland Performance Materials. Envirez resin is the first resin that uses a substantial amount of soybean oil and corn derived ethanol in its formulation.

A major driver for our collaborative activities, which we have named Bio-Moulding and Design, is our perception that many bio-based plastics - similar to but partly different from the currently known plastics - open up new product opportunities as well as sustainable life cycle optimisation, beyond mere material replacement.

Dragon boats have existed for over 2,000 years, but it is only in the last twenty or so years that dragon boat racing has developed into a recognized international sport.

The main area of application for bioplastics in previous years has been film extrusion. Recently the production of rigid parts via injection moulding has gained more and more importance among bioplastics applications.

In 1994 at the University of Kassel, Germany, a professorship of ‘Polymer and Recycling Technology‘ was created and funded jointly by 29 companies and trade bodies in the region. The chairman is Prof. A.K. Bledzki. Additionally the ‘Innovation Centre for Polymer and Recycling Technology’ is closely connected with the professorship. This member organization is mainly funded by medium sized industrial companies but also by private individuals. The institute concerns itself with scientific and practical problems of plastics technology in the Institute of Materials Engineering (Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Kassel).

When talking about PLA, and the World‘s biggest production plant in Blair, Nebraska, USA, one usually thinks of NatureWorks‘ two lines with a total annual capacity of 140,000 tonnes (~300 million pounds).

Fujitsu recently introduced the World‘s first injection moulded keyboard made from renewable materials. This newly developed eco-keyboard ‘KBPC PX ECO‘ has been launched under the label ‘Green IT‘. For some of the component parts Biograde® cellulose ester compound from German supplier FKuR is being used.

Continuously increasing crude oil prices, environmental responsiveness and new regulations on the use of non-renewable resources for both energy and materials have encouraged industry to research and develop more ecologically friendly bio-based composites.

This year a Swiss company is attempting to break the monopoly position enjoyed by Nespresso. The Ethical Coffee Company SA, located in Fribourg and founded by no less than the former Nespresso boss Jean-Paul Gaillard, has developed a capsule that can be used with the usual Nespresso machines – something that hasn’t been done before. According to the French paper ‘Le Figaro’ the French supermarket chain Casino will start in May selling an alternative that costs 20% less and claims to offer the same taste.

ECOmfort is the latest Correction Roller from the Pritt stationery range by Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Düsseldorf, Germany. The newly developed and innovative natural ‘Arctic’ material sets new standards as it replaces a high technical performance plastic with a sustainable renewable material. The Pritt correction roller won the 3rd prize at the Bio-based Material of the Year 2010 awards (see p. 6).

TECNARO GmbH from Ilsfeld, Germany received one of the most prestigious international awards, the European Inventor Award 2010 (in the SMEs/research category).

Metabolix, Inc. and Archer Daniels Midland Company announced that their Joint Venture Telles received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for the formulated products Mirel™ F1005 and F1006, food contact injection molding grades for use in food contact applications.

Futerro, a 50/50 joint venture established in September 2007 by Galactic and Total Petrochemicals, recently announced the inauguration of its bioplastics production unit in Escanaffles, Belgium.

“Value creation in consonance with economy, ecology and social responsibility“, this was the vision that drove BIOWERT Industrie GmbH in Brensbach, Germany (the company name could be translated as ‘bio-value‘). In the Odenwald area, south of Frankfurt/Main, Biowert built the World‘s first production plant of this kind, geared to the principles of a truly ‘green‘ bio-refinery. This special plant produces (economically) environmentally friendly products of high quality based on a raw material that is abundantly available in the area - grass.

From a historic point of view, for more than 2,000 years hemp has been an important raw material for industry. Hemp fibres were used for the manufacture of technical products such as ropes, hawsers and boat canvas, as well as clothing textiles and paper.

Composites Evolution Ltd, from Chesterfield, UK introduced a new family of materials, Biotex Commingled Flax/PLA and Biotex Flax yarns. The materials use a unique Twistless Technology to provide high levels of performance and processability normally associated with glass reinforced materials.

In different committees in Brussels there is an ongoing discussion about how to define and measure the bio-based content of bio-based materials and products. Examples are the CEN/BT/WG 209 M/429 working group - working on a standardisation programme for bio-based products (Brussels, CEN) and the Industrial Task Force on Bio-based Content of Materials and Products (Brussels, European bioplastics).

Fortune 500 company Newell Rubbermaid, whose portfolio of brands includes Rubbermaid®, Sharpie®, Graco®, Calphalon®, Irwin®, Lenox®, Levolor®, Paper Mate®, Dymo®, Waterman®, Parker®, Goody®, Technical Concepts™ and Aprica®, continually studies its consumers to design and deliver innovative solutions that also offer performance and value.

In today‘s lifestyle the consumption of food and drink out of the home is increasing day by day and disposable tableware in fast-food restaurants, canteens and popular events is now perceived as a necessity.

Despite tight corporate travel budgets, 31 exhibitors and more than 300 people from 30 countries attended Innovation Takes Root 2010, the international bioplastics conference hosted by NatureWorks in Dallas, Texas, USA. Meals and the two evening receptions offered excellent opportunities to make or renew connections and to discuss the many interrelated aspects of sustainability, bioplastics processing, and marketing products with low environmental impacts.

Taghleef Industries, (Ti) one of the largest manufacturers of BoPP (bi-axially oriented polypropylene) packaging films in the world, is launching a new bioplastic packaging material.

Cereplast, Inc, El Segundo, California, USA, manufacturer of bio-based, sustainable plastics, recently announced that it has appointed Robert (Bob) Findlen as senior vice president of global sales and marketing to lead the Company‘s sales team.

Widely used in many industries, plastics have become the source of white pollution. While the world is struggling to deal with this problem, GreenGran has been ardently advocating a new technology that replaces glass fibres with natural materials. Natural fibre reinforced polymers, with qualities that rival engineering plastics, are paving a new path to a better environment.

On Friday 16 April last, the Paris Law Court issued the first-instance sentence in the case brought by Novamont against the German company Biotec and certain companies of the French group Sphere, respectively, the manufacturer and distributors of certain starch-based products which, it was alleged by Novamont, infringed its patents protecting first generation Mater-Bi.

Scientists from the Montanuniversität in Leoben, Austria, recently developed reprographic paper completely based on biopolymers. It not only looks and performs like normal paper, but it also claims to be water-resistant and to have certain ecological advantages.

The Austrian pioneer company NaKu (from Natürlicher Kunststoff = natural plastic) has offered starch based bags for fresh produce since 2007. Now they arranged for fresh moments at the VIENNA BIO-POLYMER DAYS on May 19 and 20, 2010.

In response to the increasing demand for environmentally responsible products as well as their own mission of acting as a responsible company, Linex, of Taastrup in Denmark, introduced an innovative series of school and office drawing instruments made from 100% natural corn starch based PLA.

An Innovative new interior signage system was recently exhibited at NatureWorks‘ Innovation Takes Root conference in Dallas, Texas.

A comprehensive report entitled ‘The state-of-the-art on Bioplastics 2010‘ written by Jan Th. J. Ravenstijn MSc, has been available since January of this year.

The world’s leading trade fair for the cleaning industry, ISSA Interclean, saw for the first time a bioplastics entrant on April 26-29 in Amsterdam, as Italian producer QTS gave a sneak preview of its soon to be announced Ingeo™ (PLA) based bio dispenser product range.

American Leistritz Extruder Corporation has installed ZSE-27 and ZSE-50 MAXX twin screw extrusion systems and related auxiliary equipment in its‘ New Jersey process laboratory to process ‚wet‘ PLA (and PET) on a twin screw extruder in combination with direct sheet extrusion.

For more than 15 years the Institute for Natural Materials Technology (IFA Tulln in Austria) has been working on wood composites (FASAL) to help establish a place for them in the injection moulding and profile extrusion markets. In a joint research project with the company FASAL WOOD KG, Vienna, Austria, lasting several years, new blends have been compounded and tested.