bioplastics MAGAZINE Issue 05/2013

The Technological Institute of Plastics (AIMPLAS) will present biodegradable packaging for cosmetics, drugstore and healthcare. The new products have good mechanical and chemical properties and also the environmental benefits of biodegradable materials.

In line with its strategy of growth in advanced polymers with a low environmental impact, API SpA will be exhibiting at K 2013 under the theme BIO & BEYOND. API Spa remains committed to developing and offering products that assist in the reduction of harmful CO2 emissions.

When it comes to innovation and sustainability, the development of new materials and the optimisation of processing technologies are equally important goals.

After years of research, development and live trials Parkside (Normanton, UK) are pleased to announce that they are the first, and currently the only, manufacturer of printed flexible packaging to be able to offer the environmentally conscious brand owner and packer a barrier triplex laminate accredited under EN13432 industrial compostability standard which requires at least 90% of the packaging to disintegrate within 12 weeks.

At K’2013, BASF will be presenting a wide range of products, including the company’s bio-based Ecoflex and Ecovio materials. One of the highlights on display will be the first application for the new injection-molding grade Ecovio IS1335 (see bM 04/2013): fully compostable coffee capsules for Swiss Coffee Company (Widnau, Switzerland).

Nature produces a versatile resource, namely milk. Incredible amounts of milk have to be disposed of every day because it is longer marketable and legislation says that it should not be used as food.

Possibility or pipe dream The Nonwovens industry is a large and growing user of oil-based polymers. So it is a natural place to examine if bioplastics could replace these oil-based resins. Is it a possibility or is it a pipe dream? Before this first question will be addressed, this article tries to help to have a better understanding of what nonwovens are.

Researchers from Graz University of Technology (Graz, Austria), together with colleagues from the Medical University of Graz, Vienna University of Technology and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (Austria), have managed to develop absorbable implants to promote bone healing which are broken down by the body.

Braskem, the leading thermoplastic resin producer in the Americas and the world’s largest biopolymer producer, announces the expansion of its portfolio of renewable products with the launch of its new line of green low-density polyethylene (LDPE), with this new product family complementing its already well known Green Plastics.

Cereplast, Inc. (Seymour, Indiana, USA), recently announced it is strongly positioned to meet soaring demand for bioplastic resins in the Asia-Pacific market.

A five pence mandatory charge for single use carrier bags will be introduced in the UK from Autumn 2015, the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, announced recently.

Corbion Purac, the global market leader in lactic acid, lactic acid derivatives and lactides, is showcasing a range of biobased applications, resulting from numerous strategic partnerships under the theme partnering for bioplastics growth.

Croda Coatings & Polymers will present an extensive selection of sustainable monomers (building blocks), polyols and additives for use in high-end applications. These products offer a wide range of different functionalities alongside high performance properties.

Every once in a while I’m asked whether conventional polyolefins, when filled with a certain amount of starch, should be considered as bioplastics? Well, the amount of petroleum-based plastics replaced by starch represents significant oil savings… but similar approaches — with the aim of saving costs for the more expensive plastic - have been around in the automotive industry for decades, using wood flour as a cheap, after all, biobased filler.

Designers and bioplastics — what an exciting combination… In so many cases designers are the ones to make a decision for a certain material, be it for consumer goods, architectural applications or art. bioplastics MAGAZINE spoke to a number of designers to collect impressions, opinions and thoughts in order to gather more insight into how designers deal with materials in general and bioplastics in particular.

With the launch of EcoPaXX in 2009, its castor oil-derived PA410 product range, DSM convincingly demonstrated its ongoing commitment to sustainability. With a biobased content of 70%, EcoPaXX is 100% certified carbon neutral from cradle to gate, exhibits an excellent set of properties, and is currently found in a wide array of applications.

At K’2013, among other innovations, DuPont will showcase DuPont™ Zytel® RS LC4000 for Specialty Hose & Tubing which provide a wider range of flexibility and outstanding chemical resistance.

Ecoplast Technologies Inc, Wuhan, China, is presenting its range of ECO-KEEP products at K’2013. Eco Keep is the Ecoplast brand of green houseware items made from PSM® bioplastics, which use plant starch and other renewable sources as their main components, and are manufactured by polymer modification and plasticization.

EMS GRIVORY resent two new biobased Polyamides. PA1010 Grilamid 1S is based to nearly 100%, PA610 Grilamid 2S to 62% on renewable resources. Both of them belong to the bio-based polymers of the EMS-GRIVORY GreenLine family.

The industry association European Bioplastics will represent the bioplastics industry at K’2013. European Bioplastics will provide up-to-date information on market development and new products.

EcoCortec® (Beli Manastir, Croatia), a European subsidiary of Cortec Corporation® (St. Paul, Missesota, USA) recently announced the phase three expansion of its Beli Manastir, plant.

French company, Les Jardins de Gaïa recently decided to pack its range of organic teas in individual sachets made fom Innovia Films’ compostable cellulose-based material, NatureFlex™ NVR.

At K’2013 Ferrarini & Benelli, leader in manufacturing and engineering of corona treatment equipments will present an important innovation: the Plasma treatment, which is applicable in many industries such as PEX pipes production, automotive, medical, cosmetics and injection moulding of plastic parts.

NatureFlex™ films, manufactured by Innovia Films (Wigton, Vumbria, UK), have been scientifically tested and proven to provide an effective barrier against mineral oil residues. This has been confirmed by a scientific study at the official Food Safety Authority of the Canton of Zürich in Switzerland.

As published in issue 04/2011 of bioplastics MAGAZINE [1], more and more waste from food production plants is used as feedstocks for bioplastics, following a Maxi-use© strategy. Research is ongoing to improve the performance of such bio-sourced polymers, making them competitive with their synthetic counterparts and extending the range of applications that they can fulfill.

Bioplastics specialist FKuR Kunststoff GmbH is presenting its tailor-made compounds for food packaging, marketed under the brand name Terralene. Terralene offers excellent barrier properties, enabling products sensitive to moisture and oxygen to be packaged in bioplastics while considerably extending their shelf life.

New developments by Dragonkraft (Eccles, Manchester, UK) in the bio-resin arena and flax by products have enabled designer James Dart to develop a functional Duo Lin cycle helmet incorporating a dense bio-resin foam core interior and tough knitted flax woven outer resin shell. Flax fibres are amongst the oldest fibre crops in the world dating back as far as Egyptian times.

The Fraunhofer ICT conducts research into innovative developments in the field of bioplastics. Hence, developments are displayed in various different domains, one of which will be examples of materials with magnetic or electrically conductive properties, which are an outcome of the successfully completed BioStruct project.

This year at K, geba Kunststoffcompounds GmbH is presenting its Desmovit DP R Eco NF product line, a range of TPU compounds reinforced with natural fibers.

The Grafe Group is presenting its new product series Biocolen, a masterbatch that is not only suitable for coloring bioplastics (PLA), but also enhances performance for packaging manufacturers. The masterbatch improves the durability, achieving a higher flexibility and reducing the brittleness in the end product without impairing transparency.

Proprietary technology and novel specialty chemicals enable game-changing solutions for plastics industry. Diacids are a commercially important class of chemicals with tens of thousands of tonnes of diacids produced annually and applications in a variety of end uses.

Invista continues to innovate across the entire polyamide value chain. In addition to the company’s Engineering Polymers business, INVISTA has established its own internal biotechnology capability and is looking at a number of opportunities to develop biological routes to its products and feedstocks.

Kaneka Biopolymer AONILEX (PHB) is biodegradable, yet strongly resistant to heat and hydrolysis and can act as a barrier to water vapor.

At K’2013, in addition to its wide-range of Estane Engineered Polymers, Lubrizol will be highlighting its high-performance specialty TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) resins, which are marketed under the global commercial brand names Pearlthane, Pearlthane ECO, Pearlbond, Pearlbond ECO, Pearlstick and Pearlcoat.

Metabolix I6003rp is an effective biobased polymeric additive for increasing the recycle rate and value of PVC. The excellent inherent miscibility in PVC of Metabolix I6003rp additives enables improved mixing of recycle PVC and brings secondary plasticization with low migration and aging effects.

Durabio is an Isosorbide-chemistry based engineering plastic resin that was developed by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation. Inherently plant-based, this material shows an outstanding balance of optical and mechanical properties.

Natureplast group specializes in providing support to plastic converters or outsourcers who want to incorporate bioplastics into existing, or develop new products or packaging made from bioplastics. Since its founding in 2006, Natureplast continues to be the sole company in Europe dedicated to supplying the full range of bioplastics produced across the world.

The Austrian Company NaKu aus Natürlichem Kunststoff® (means “made from Natural Polymers”) offers raw materials as well as fully developed products made from bioplastics.

NatureWorks announced the commercial availability of two new Ingeo™ high performance PLA grades designed for fibers and nonwovens applications. The two grades deliver lower shrinkage, faster crystallization, and higher melting points across the broad range of manufacturing processes used to produce fibers and nonwoven fabrics.

Interview with François de Bie after 100 days as chairman of European Bioplastics

Royal DSM, headquartered in Heerlen, The Netherlands, together with its automotive component specialist partner KACO, has taken an important step in improving fuel efficiency in cars. The two companies have developed a lightweight multi-functional crankshaft cover in EcoPaXX®, DSM’s bio-based polyamide 410, for the latest generation of diesel engines developed by the Volkswagen Group.

Sweden-based Perstorp, a leading manufacturer of specialty chemicals, will be launching its proven technology Capa Thermoplastic products for bioplastics at K’2013.

PHAs are polyesters produced by the bacterial fermentation of sugar or lipids. PHB is one of the well-known members of the PHA family with the largest volume in the market compared to other PHAs.

The KRITILEN masterbatches for PLA, designed and produced by Plastika Kritis SA / Global Colors Group are concentrates of carefully selected raw materials in a PLA carrier, aimed at assorted end applications.

As one of the 5 global leaders in the starch manufacturing industry, Roquette offers a full range of innovative and sustainable plant-based solutions for the plastic industry. GAÏALENE is an industrial range of plant-based plastics eco-designed by Roquette, and comprising filmable, injectable or foamable grades that are able to be processed on conventional equipment.

Established in 2002 and located in Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, Shenzhen Esun Industrial Co., Ltd. is a high-tech enterprise specializing in researching, developing, producing and marketing degradable polymer materials.

The Bioplastics Council, a committee of SPI: The U.S. Plastics Industry Trade Association, announced in late August the release of “Development of Biobased Plastics Independent of the Future of Biofuels,” a new paper challenging the widely held perception that the biobased plastics industry is inextricably linked to and dependent on the emergence of a robust biorefining industry.

At K’2013, Sukano is presenting its proven portfolio of ready-to-use compounds and customized bioplastics masterbatches. Its bio-loy compounds are ready-to-use biopolymers that can be processed just like standard plastics in many applications.

Sulzer’s development of a new high performance PLA technology produced from lactide was awarded with the Frost and Sullivan Innovation award in 2010. Their PLA technology gives access to a wide range of PLA grades, covering a broad span of molecular weights with extremely low residual monomers.

Tecnaro is presenting its bioplastic compounds Arboform, Arboblend and Arbofill and various applications for stationary and household goods, gardening, fashion, packaging, logistics, electronics, toys, civil construction and many more. New grades include bio-based thermoplastic elastomers Bio-TPE/TPV, as well as compounds made from Green PE, Bio-PET and Bio-PA.

Injection molders know polylactic acid (PLA) as a stiff, brittle, splintering material with an elongation at break of 3 to 4%. Spun into fibers, a completely different picture presents itself: the fibers obtained are silk-like and the fabrics produced are smooth, skin flattering and with a pleasing drape.

At K’2013, Toray is presenting its environmentally friendly solutions, targeted at the automotive industry, E&E and life science field, in which advanced material technologies play a key role.

Over the years, many coloring agents, pigments and dyes have been developed for standard and engineering plastics. Whether these are suitable for coloring bioplastics, however, must be separately researched for each polymer type and application.

At K’2013, Vertellus is showing a range of Vertellus products for the plastics industry. This includes its Citroflex plasticizers, used in medical and food grade PVC applications and in biopolymers like PLA and PHA, as well as other bio-based plasticizers such as Morflex sebacates, trimellitates, adipates & benzoates and Flexorcin castor oil derivatives.

The Munich-based chemicals group Wacker is launching an improved version of its Vinnex binder system for biopolymers. Vinnex is a vinyl-acetate-based polymer binder system that enhances the physical properties of and promotes the compatibility between different bioplastics.

Good design gives a product identity, and more and more companies have recognised for some time that good design is a key element in the commercial success of their products. Design has now become a hard factor and is a firm part the product development process.