bioplastics MAGAZINE 04-2010

04 | 2010

ISSN 1862-5258

July/August

Personality

bioplastics

magazine

Vol. 5

Catia Bastioli | 39 Highlights Additives | 10 Bottle Applications | 16 Basics Compounding | 34 1 countries

... is read in 9

FKuR plastics - made by nature!® Fibrolon® – Wood Bioplastic Composites

Nail file set made of Fibrolon®

FKuR Kunststoff GmbH Siemensring 79 D - 47877 Willich Phone: +49 2154 92 51-0 Fax: +49 2154 92 51-51 sales@fkur.com

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Editorial

dear readers “Believe it or not, summer is upon us“, wrote the BBC in their online news a week or so ago. And indeed, after the biggest bioplastics MAGAZINE ever the new summer issue is significantly thinner. But nevertheless we have tried to fill it with interesting news items and applications, as well as a number of articles covering our two editorial focus topics.

In the basics section we cover the ‘Compounding of Bioplastics‘ and consequently one of our editorial highlights is a series of articles on additives and masterbatches.

Even if some bioplastic bottles have already disappeared from the marketplace for several reasons in our ‘bottles‘ section we are happy to report about three positive examples. All show that, if it‘s done right, double figure growth rates can be achieved.

And looking into the future, the next issue is likely to be, once again, the thickest issue ever. The reason is K‘2010, the world‘s biggest trade fair for plastics and rubber. As bioplastics will play an important role at this show our editorial team will prepare a comprehensive preview, including a show guide with floor plan and further details.

All exhibitors are invited to supply a short written summary of their exhibits, which will help us to generate a complete show preview.

One of the highlights at K‘2010 for all interested in bioplastics will be our “Bioplastics Business Breakfasts“. On October 28th, 29th, and 30th we will be hosting some mini-symposiums, succinct and to the point, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon on the fairgrounds. See page 9 for details.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE.

Yours Michael Thielen

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bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/10] Vol. 5

bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/10] Vol. 5

New:

Impact Modifier for PLA 11

Opinion

Bio-based Plasticizers for PVC 12

Plasticizer Made from Natural Products 13

New Additives for PLA 14

Bio-based Color Concentrates 15

Cosmetic Bottles 20

The Ritz-Carlton goes Prima 22

Plasma-Assisted Barrier Coating 24

PBS Particle Foam 32 The Bio-Based Discussion

Catia Bastioli

Erroneous picture in issue 03/2010

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Novamont

Basics of Compounding Bioplastics

Cover Photo

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A number of copies of this issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE is wrapped in a compostable film manufactured and sponsored by different sponsors ...

More Colorful Bioplastics

Envelope

Editorial News Application News Suppliers Guide Event Calendar

Editorial contributions are always welcome.

Please contact the editorial office via mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com.

19

bioplastics MAGAZINE tries to use British spelling. However, in articles based on information from the USA, American spelling may also be used.

Continued Success for Sant窶連nna Bio-Bottle

The fact that product names may not be identified in our editorial as trade marks is not an indication that such names are not registered trade marks.

18

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Bottle Applications

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Additives | Masterbatches

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16

bioplastics magazine

Ethical Packaging in New Zealand

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Contributing Editor

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44

40

July/August

04|2010 Basics 34

38

Personality

39

Erratum

41

From Science & Research

Report

30

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News

Bioplastics at interpack 2011 For the third time at this triennial exhibition the interpack bioplastics trade fair will be staging a group exhibit. With just under a year to go until the event gets under way a total of 39 companies have already registered for the event, which is now fully booked.

Following the successes of 2005 and 2008, bioplastics will be exhibited next year in hall 9 alongside packaging materials, packages and package production. This means that in 2011 the pioneering green plastics industry will be moving out of the ‘Innovationparc Packaging‘ for the first time to prove itself within the established sectors. “We are very excited about this positive example which further underlines the success of our approach of focusing on such hot topics,“ says Bernd Jablonowski, director of interpack.

Bioplastics have made rapid progress since the first group exhibition in 2005. With an average annual market growth of 15-20 % the materials, which currently have a market share of less than 1 %, already represent a sound and environmentally-friendly alternative to conventional plastics in many areas. The industry expects to grow from a global production capacity of just under 600,000 tonnes p.a. at present to over 1.4 million tonnes by 2013. Plastics from renewable raw materials will play an increasingly important role, as in their manufacture the carbon derived from the carbon dioxide taken in by plants is removed from the atmosphere for a period of years.

“The number of registrations in the bioplastics sector underscores the importance of interpack for our industry. Despite the crisis over the last two years, companies continue to address the growing demand for products that are climate-friendly and resource-efficient,“ says Hasso von Pogrell, Managing Director of the European Bioplastics. The industry association is looking forward to finding out whether the previous show‘s record number of visitors will be surpassed in 2011. MT www.bioplastics-in-packaging.com

Improved PLA compound Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd. and Teijin Limited recently announced in Tokyo, Japan their joint development of a highly heat-resistant PLA moulding compound made 80% from plant-based renewable feedstock and providing significantly reduced moulding cycle time of around half that of conventional PLA compounds.

In July 2010, Panasonic Electric Works started selling the new material as its MBA900H PLA moulding compound for use in the housings of cell phones and other mobile devices and digital consumer electronics. The initial goal is 1,000 tons of annual production by 2012/2013.

The bioplastic used in the MBA900H is Teijin’s Biofront™, a highly heat-resistant PLA with a heat deflection temperature of 60-190°C (HDT A), depending on the grade, which is significantly higher than that of conventional PLA. Biofront also shows better hydrolytic stability and achieves semi-crystallization in just 20-25% of the time required with conventional PLA. The compound has been proven in testing conducted by the company to shorten moulding cycle time by roughly half compared to conventional PLA compounds.

Efforts to shift from oil-based to biomass-based plastics are increasing as companies look for ways to help protect the global environment and create sustainable societies. Bioplastics, for example, are being used increasingly in consumer electronics, automotive interiors and other areas, but conventional PLA has low heat resistance and limited injection-moulding capability because of its longer moulding cycle time. Moulding compounds have been developed by mixing PLA with oil-based plastics, but attaining the desired levels of heat resistance and mouldability has required a high ratio of oil-based plastic.

The MBA900H solves these problems as a moulding compound that combines high biomass ratio with superior heat resistance and mouldability which makes them ideal for durable applications. These compounds consisting of 80% (by wt) PLA are of course not biodegradable any more.

Teijin will continue to accelerate its cultivation of new applications and markets for Biofront, which already is used in clothing, interior goods, automobiles and consumer electronics. Teijin aims to mass produce some 5,000 tons of Biofront in fiscal 2011, and then eventually several tens of thousands of tons of this advanced bioplastic. MT

www.teijin.co.jp/english http://panasonic-electric-works.net

bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/10] Vol. 5

News

Automotive Bioplastics Design Challenge

Reinforced Bio-PA

A kick-off event in Stuttgart/Germany in July marked the start of the ‘Automotive Bioplastics Design Challenge (abdc)‘.

Bioplastics producers and automobile manufacturers, their suppliers as well as development and design offices working in the automobile sector are all invited to participate. Over the coming year, ‘abdc‘ is aiming to evaluate and further develop commercially available bioplastics and such under development for their suitability in automotive engineering in terms of design aspects. The results will be presented to the public at ‘Automobile Summer 2011‘, organised to celebrate the invention of the car 125 years ago.

BASF’s polyamide 610 is being joined by additional grades. Four new glass fiberreinforced materials now complement the unreinforced grade Ultramid S3K Balance.

They are designated Ultramid S3EG6 Balance, Ultramid S3WG6 and S3WG7 Balance and Ultramid A3HG6 Balance. Their glass fiber contents are 30 % (G6) and 35 % (G7) and they will be available in sample quantities in Europe as of September.

From the organizer‘s point of view, many bioplastics that are currently under development are either too expensive or will not be available in the near future in sufficient quantities to enable wide commercial use.

This means that many biobased polymers will only be launched on the market once the general conditions have permanently changed and they have become more advantageous than petrochemical plastics.

Biopro Baden-Württemberg GmbH (Germany) and the Biopolymers/ Biomaterials Cluster are planning to give end users insights into biobased materials that will be available in the future, aiming that this dissemination of knowledge will have a positive influence on innovation processes and their introduction on the market. The interaction of all the stakeholders along the value creation chain will ensure that biomaterials are thoroughly tested and made available for technical application as soon as possible. Major focus will be put on the assessment of material properties, as well as aspects relating to processability, surface properties and ageing stability. These are issues that are not generally of primary importance in research, even though they have a considerable influence on the marketability and market potential of materials.

During the ‘abdc‘ developers and designers from the automobile sector will be able to test various biomaterials-based prototypes and give valuable feedback to polymer developers on the expected market acceptance and unexplored optimisation potentials of the biomaterials. A key feature of the project is a biomaterials database aimed at providing users with an overview of marketable materials and materials under development. The database will include technical and design-related decision criteria rather than economic issues, and users will be invited to select materials for the production of certain components or component groups, produce prototypes and test the materials for their suitability in serial production of the components.

The empirical values (with regard to processability, technical suitability and design aspects, etc.) will then be included in the database and made available to other participants. It is planned to continue the cooperation beyond the one-year project runtime. BSL http://www.bio-pro.de

bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/10] Vol. 5

According to BASF two properties in particular make this material a competitor to other long-chain high-performance polyamides such as PA 612 or PA 12: its hydrolysis resistance, i.e. its great resistance to hot water and steam as well as its resistance to environmental stress cracking when exposed to aggressive chemicals.

The three new grades in the Ultramid S Balance line are thus especially well-suited for overmolding of metal and electronic components that come into contact with aggressive fluids. They are also of interest for housings and transmission components where dimensional stability is major factor.

Connectors, tubing and reservoirs in coolant circuits that must satisfy demanding requirements for hydrolysis resistance represent an additional field of application.

The material has already demonstrated its performance capability in wheel speed sensors that are exposed to water spray and can be attacked by road salt.

Blended with PA 66, PA 610 yields the new grade Ultramid A3HG6 Balance. This product is characterized by a property profile that lies between that of PA 66 and Ultramid S Balance, while retaining its high resistance to environmental stress cracking and exhibiting in addition very good resistance to hot oil. This proposes oil pans and oil filter housings as well as radiator end caps as target products.

One of the raw materials for production of Ultramid S Balance and Ultramid A Balance is sebacic acid, which is derived from castor oil.

Thus, over 60 % of the base polymer for the product family comes from renewable resources. BSL www.basf.com

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News

Succinic Acid Joint Venture

First Bioplastics Manufacturing in India

Royal DSM N.V., a dutch Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company, and Roquette Frères, a french starch and starch-derivatives company, announced that they have signed a joint venture agreement for the production, commercialization and market development of bio-based succinic acid, subject to regulatory approvals and notifications.

Greendiamz Biotech Pvt. Ltd. in association with its partner Limagrain, France brings the first fully biodegradable and compostable bioplastic material to India. Branded as ‘Truegreen’ the bioplastic film is made from Biolice® raw material by Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients (LCI). The first dedicated factory to make biodegradable/compostable films in India is now up and running in Ahmedabad.

Since early 2008 the two companies have been working together to develop sustainable fermentative technology to produce bio-based succinic acid. The first testing volumes of this renewable and versatile chemical building block - used in the manufacture of polymers, resins and other products - have already been produced in a demonstration plant in Lestrem (France). The positive results from this cooperation have led to the establishment of the joint venture.

DSM and Roquette will each have a 50% stake in the new entity, Reverdia V.o.f., which will be headquartered in the Netherlands.

This new production route delivers a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, as it sequesters carbon dioxide, and the proprietary process does not produce any salts as waste.

The joint venture plans to focus on applications such as 1,4 butanediol (BDO), polyurethane resins, and biopolymers such as polybutylene succinate (PBS) into applications among others in paints and coatings, automotive and textiles. DSM and Roquette will be marketing bio-based succinic acid via the joint venture Reverdia and are also working together to further expand their joint capacity. BSL

David Pearson, Marketing Director, LCI said: “India is a major world economy with the second largest population. It therefore produces large quantities of plastic-based waste, which is the root cause of many health and environment hazards.“ ... “such as blocking water systems during monsoon periods and creating visual pollution in tourist areas,” as Truegreen Director Dipack Sangghvi added. These and other problems led to a ban on bags with a certain thickness and a restriction on the use of plastic bags. Ronnie Khajotia, CEO of TrueGreen commented: “Hence our first step should be to drastically reduce the number of single use plastic bags“.

He said to bioplastics MAGAZINE that the use of compostable bags is encouraged with the adoption of the ISO 17088 as the Indian standard by the Bureau of Indian standards. Bags under this standard and those that are certified are not restricted. “However, I do agree that littering, which causes the blocked drains will not be addressed by any form of degradable plastic bags. However, if people were to pay for compostable bags, since they are more expensive and hence, if adopted; will not be given away free; then they will re-use these bags many times and that itself will reduce the litter.“ In addition to shopping bag applications TrueGreen also focuses on endof-life applications together with composting of food waste, etc. Their main customers however, are now the forestry departments in Indian states. They produce and plant over 500 million saplings a year through this vast country.

Normal sapling bags are taken off and may themselves cause litter. They have successfully adopted the use of the compostable bags for this innovative application.

David Pearson: “The Indian Plastic Development Council states that India is expected to be the third largest consumer of plastics after US and China by 2011. Keeping in view the increasing future demand we have provided a Green Solution to today‘s world. Thus; I believe Biolice from Limagrain Céréales is the new age solution to manufacture environmental friendly solutions including biodegradable products that are technologically advanced and internationally certified.“ And Ronnie Khajotia added: “We are confident to fill our plant capacity by year 2, as more municipal corporations adopt a policy of getting the waste segregated and encourage the use of our bags for disposing garden and food waste. The list of our potential client is very long and include critical areas such as environment parks, forest reserves, beach resorts as well as waste disposal and asset management companies Biolice was introduced to the market in 2005 by LCI as a 100% biodegradable/ compostable bioplastic according to to EN 13432, manufactured from naturally grown cereals, and is used for all the Truegreen bioplastic range. MT

www.dsm.com www.roquette.com

(partly taken from IndiaPRwire)

www.truegreen.in www.biolice.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/10] Vol. 5

News

Trevira to Manufacture Ingeo fibers NatureWorks LLC and Trevira GmbH jointly announced that Trevira of Bobingen, Germany, one of the world’s leading producers of highquality branded polyester fibers and filament yarns, now holds a master license to manufacture Ingeo™ PLA fibers.

and marketing, staple fibers.

“The close cooperation with NatureWorks fits perfectly into our strategy of offering specialty and customized fibers.

Leadership in quality and product development relies heavily on strong partnerships.”

“Because of its technical expertise, exemplary reputation, capability to shorten time-to-market for custom products, and range of product offerings, Trevira is the ideal company to provide Ingeo fibers to a diverse base of European Union fabric producers, converters, and brand owners,” said Eamonn Tighe, NatureWorks European business manager for fibers and nonwovens.

“Expanding our portfolio of product offerings with a costcompetitive and versatile fiber like Ingeo is both a growth strategy and the next step in our company’s sustainability journey,” said Günter Wittmann, Trevira’s director of sales

Tighe said that in the past 18 months, NatureWorks has seen significant interest among European Union converters, brand owners, and retailers in locally sourced, lowcarbon footprint fibers and nonwovens for apparel, household, technical textiles, and personal care products. He said this new relationship with such a reputable company as Trevira further confirms NatureWorks’ commitment to the fibers and nonwovens sector within the European Union. www.natureworksll.com www.trevira.com

DuPont Packaging Awards DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers recently announced the winners in the 22nd DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation. Among the numerous winners from a wide array of geographies and market segments two products from the bioplastics arena were awarded as Gold Winners for Innovation and Sustainability or Innovation and Cost/Waste Reduction.

One of the Gold winners is ‘The World’s First Fully Compostable Snack Bag’, presented by Frito-Lay North America, a division of PepsiCo, USA: Packaging is one of the most visible interactions consumers have with brands. Frito-Lay overcame significant technical hurdles to develop packaging that reduces the environmental impact of its Sunchips® brand. To achieve compostability of the three-part packaging structure while providing maximum product protection, Frito-Lay switched to poly lactic acid (PLA) for the outer bag, along with a compostable adhesive and inner barrier coating. The result is a bag that uses renewable materials and allows for new disposal options such as composting, which diverts packaging from the landfill.

www.dupont.com www.thecoca-colacompany.com www.fritolay.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/10] Vol. 5

The Coca Cola Company, USA, Canada, Denmark, Japan, and Brazil; Imperial College, London; Michigan State University, USA were awareded Gold too for the PlantBottle®, the first PET beverage bottle made partially from plants. In support of its zero waste strategy for packaging materials, Coca-Cola is using a PET resin sourced from up to 30 percent plant-based renewable material. Here the monoethylene glycol made from sugar cane replaces petroleum-based PET feedstock. The new PlantBottle packaging which has been launched in Denmark, the United States, Canada, Japan, and Brazil can be recycled with other PET bottles in the existing PET recycling infrastructure. It is the first plastic beverage bottle from renewable sources that can be recycled along with other PET bottles in the existing recycling infrastructure.

during

organized by

28. - 30.10.2010

Bioplastics in Packaging

Messe Düsseldorf, Germany

Bioplastics Business Breakfast

B

PLA, an Innovative Bioplastic

3

Injection Moulding of Bioplastics

At K’2010 the World’s biggest trade fair for plastics and rubber, end of October in Düsseldorf, Germany, bioplastics will definitely play an important role.

“Bioplastics Business Breakfast” is a series of three mini-symposiums, succinct and to the point, from 8 am to 12 noon on the fairgrounds.

These events, hosted by bioplastics MAGAZINE offer an ideal forum to gather information and connect to experts and to each other before the show doors open

www.bioplastics-breakfast.com Thursday, 28 October 2010 (8am - 12 noon)

Friday, 29 October 2010 (8am - 12 noon)

Registration fees start at € 199.00 (plus VAT) and include coffee/tea and croissants. For details and registration please visit www.bioplastics-breakfast.com

Saturday, 30 October 2010 (8am - 12 noon)

Bioplastics in Packaging

PLA, an Innovative Bioplastic

Injection Moulding of Bioplastics

> Basics of Bioplastics

> Basics of Bioplastics

> Basics of Bioplastics

> Bioplastics “Packaging & Legislation“

> Basics of PLA

> Injection Moulding Compounds

> Sustainable Packaging

> PLA a Versatile Material

> Machinery

> Processing PLA

> Injection Moulding of PLA

> High Temperature PLA

> Injection Moulding of PHA

> Barrier Coating of PLA

> Injection Moulding of PBS

> Bi-oriented PLA

> Bio-Polyamide for Inj. Moulding

> PLA Particle Foam

> Bio-Polyethylene for Inj. Moulding

> End of Life

> Hot-runners for use with Bioplastics

> PLA Packaging > Starch based Packaging > Polyester (PBAT) Packaging > Bo-PLA > Machinery > End of Life

Preliminary programme, subject to changes

Additives | Masterbatches

N

ew masterbatches from Clariant, Muttenz, Switzerland have been formulated for use in biopolymer applications requiring compliance with European and US standards governing compostability and ecotoxicity, including the harmonised EN 13432:2000 standard. Because they incorporate conventional (non-natural) additives and pigments, the new masterbatches are more economical and more process- and light-stable than ‘natural‘ products, and they bring a broader choice of colors and additive functionality to bioplastic products and packaging.

More Colorful Bioplastics

Over 80 pigments are expected to be available, which will allow a large number color masterbatches to be offered under the Clariant RENOLÂŽ-compostable brand name. CESAÂŽ-compostable additive masterbatches will include UV-stabilizer and antioxidant packages, with more additives currently pending review.

Testing of the ingredients in the Clariant masterbatches was completed in the independent laboratories of OWS nv (Gent, Belgium). There, it was determined the materials comply with the EN 13432:2000 standard for heavy-metal content and plant-toxicity.

Clariant also is in the final stages of product evaluation for the highly desirable ‘OK compost‘ certification issued by AIB Vinçotte International (Vilvoorde, Belgium). The compostable products made at the Clariant facility in Sant Andreu de la Barca, Spain (near Barcelona) are expected to be certified in July. A plant in Pogliano Milanese, Italy, which already holds an ‘OK compost‘ certificate for a black masterbatch used mainly in agricultural film, will soon obtain the Vinçotte approval stamp for the whole range of new eco-friendly masterbatches it manufactures.

In 2007, Clariant introduced the first commercial line of all-natural color and additive masterbatches, featuring active ingredients made entirely from renewable resources. Colors included red, orange yellow and green, derived mainly from plants, but choices continue to be limited and light and process stability can be an issue in certain applications. The new RENOL-compostable and CESA-compostable masterbatches, on the other hand, give users an attractive middle ground: the performance and cost benefits conventional colorants and additives in a formulation that does not change the compostability of products made of the bio-based resins.

Clariant Masterbatches has been producing masterbatches for Novamont’s Mater-Bi since 1995, with significant volumes used not only in black agricultural films, but also in shopping and garbage bags made from the material. Other application targets include packaging and single- or limited-use products like plastic utensils, drink cups and pens, where bio-based resins, such as PLA, currently are being specified. MT www.clariant.com

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bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/10] Vol. 5

Additives | Masterbatches

Impact Modifier for PLA

E

nd of last year the Dow Chemical Company launched a new generation PARALOID™ BPM-515 Acrylic Impact Modifier formulated to impart toughness and maintain clarity to PLA. The new additive enables lower cost toughened PLA compounds that will will enable greater innovation and growth in the automotive, medical and electronics industries.

Following the introduction of Paraloid BPM-500 about two years ago, Paraloid BPM-515 now offers the same benefits as Paraloid BPM-500 but with higher efficiency. Paraloid BPM-515 provides excellent impact performance at use levels as low as 1%, thus making Paraloid BPM-515 the industry standard for PLA impact modification.

The new impact modifier can be widely used in PLA applications but is particularly useful in applications where a balance between toughness and transparency is required such as in industrial and consumer packaged goods. In addition to better impact properties, PLA modified with Paraloid BPM-515 show a marked increase in ductile behavior when cutting and hole punching operations are employed.

The additive complies with EU Directive 2002/72/EC governing food packaging in the European Union. It also complies with US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements, and may be used up to 5 % in food contact resins (maximum thickness of 0.5 mm) with all types of food at room temperature and below. Although Paraloid BPM-515 can be used at very low dosages, using the modifier at levels up to 5 % loading has not been found to adversely influence the biodegradability of PLA as measured

by ASTM D6400-04 per ASTM D5388.

“Bioplastics have the potential to reduce petroleum consumption in plastics by 15-20 % by 2025. The launch of Paraloid BPM515 serves to reinforce Dow‘s commitment to providing environmentally enhanced technology solutions for sustainable growth.

The development of Paraloid BPM-515 for PLA modification supports the development of the bioplastics industry towards greater sustainability in consumer and industrial applications. The combination of improved performance with lower use cost will further open new markets and applications for our customers in automotive, medical and electronic industries.“ said Tina Wei, Asia Marketing Manager for Dow Plastics Additives. MT www.dow.com

The industry’s market leading event where new technologies, trends, developments in applications, new guidelines and waste strategies are unveiled

October 11-13, 2010 The Westin Tabor Center, Denver, Colorado, US With biopolymers strengthening their foothold in the mainstream plastics industry, Biopolymers Symposium 2010 brings together the industry’s movers and shakers from leading manufacturers, brand owners, end users, innovators and policy makers to address key elements in the market development.

Early Bird pricing, July 31 through September 3, 2010 – $1439

Register Now at www.biopolymersummit.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/10] Vol. 5

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Additives | Masterbatches

Bio-based plasticizers for PVC

D

ow Wire & Cable, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, recently signaled a groundbreaking advance in sustainable chemistry by launching DOW ECOLIBRIUM™ Bio-Based Plasticizers, a new family of phthalate-free plasticizers for use in PVC compounds for wire insulation and jacketing that are made from nearly 100% renewable feedstocks. The use of these new bio-based plasticizers can help cable-makers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 40% (based on LCA tests conducted by Dow and third-party reviewed) if used instead of traditional PVC plasticizers. The new plasticizers were developed to meet growing demand for more sustainable options in wiring applications such as personal electronics and appliance wiring, residential and commercial building wiring, communications and data cabling, and automotive wiring. “(These) bio-based plasticizers are truly a breakthrough for the wire and cable industry but their introduction here is just the tip of the iceberg - in time they will also open up differentiation opportunities for OEMs in other industries that use PVC compounds,“ said Jonathan Penrice, global marketing director for Dow Wire & Cable.

DOW ECOLIBRIUM bio-based plasticizers offer specific benefits in terms of processing, electrical and temperature performance, and end-use for low and high temperature wiring applications in several key wire and cable market segments:  Personal Electronics and Appliances – Wires jacketed with material that includes Dow Ecolibrium can achieve an outstanding balance of flame retardance, flexibility and heat performance.  Building & Construction – the new bio-based plasticizers are phthalate-and lead-free, offering safe building wire options. By virtue of being bio-based, their production can also provide opportunities for cable-makers and building industry end-users to achieve carbon credits and, in the USA, certification by the U.S. Green Building Council‘s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Rating Systems. The new products are also effective in data communications delivery applications.  Automotive – Wires used for the transmission of power and data inside passenger and commercial vehicles that are jacketed with material that includes Dow Ecolibrium Bio-based Plasticizers can provide an environmentally-friendly solution that exhibits requirements for heat resistance and ease of installation.

The introduction of Dow‘s new bio-based plasticizers provides another example of the company‘s commitment to deliver sustainable chemistry as part of its 2015 Sustainability Goals. Sustainable chemistry is a ‘cradle-to-cradle‘ concept that drives Dow to adopt a lifecycle view of its products, processes and product uses in order to provide value and solutions for its customers while enhancing the quality of life for current and future generations. www.dowwireandcable.com

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bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/10] Vol. 5

Additives | Masterbatches

Plasticizer Made from Natural Products

T

he France-based company Roquette, one of Europe’s largest and one of the world’s most advanced starch and starch-derivatives businesses too offers a phtalate free bio-based plasticizer for PVC. POLYSORB® ID 37 is a composition of isosorbide diesters produced from fatty acids of vegetable origin and isosorbide obtained by simple modification (dehydration) of a derivative of glucose, sorbitol.

POLYSORB® ID 37 is totally produced from renewable natural products. It is non-toxic and biodegradable. It constitutes, thanks to its plasticizing properties equivalent to the products on the market, an alternative to the phthalates conventionally used as plasticizers for flexible PVC. In relation to the other phthalate-free plasticizers (adipates, acetylated monoglycerides, citrates) POLYSORB® ID 37 is particularly versatile and has both excellent compatibility with PVC and a very low volatility.

After having invested in 2008 in a demonstration unit with a capacity of over 100T per annum,Roquette will be capable of supplying several hundreds of tons of Polysorb® ID 37 by end of 2010 once Reach agreement will be accepted.

This investment followed an earlier one to build an industrial isosorbide unit with a capacity of over 1000 t per annum and confirms Roquette ’s strategy of promoting sustainable development.

The development of Polysorb ID 37 is part of the BioHub® programme relating to Vegetal-based chemistry backed by OSEO Innovation.

www.roquette.com www.biohub.fr

bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/10] Vol. 5

13

Additives | Masterbatches

T

eknor Apex Company from Pawtucket, Rhode Island, USA, has developed three new additive masterbatch series for enhancing the processing and end-use performance of polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastics, as the Bioplastics Division recently announced.

Terraloy™ MB-9000 masterbatches are clear formulations with PLA carrier resins, come in pellet form for uniform distribution in the host polymer, and can be custom formulated to optimize processing in a wide range of equipment, according to Edwin Tam, manager of new strategic initiatives. Three series are available:

New Additives for PLA Impact modifier While PLA alone exhibits brittle failure at low impact levels in Gardner impact tests, Terraloy 9000A masterbatch yields ten to fifteen times the impact resistance in extruded tape samples, depending on addition levels; and at 10% loadings yields substantial increases for injection molded sample plaques (see graph in Fig. 1).

Melt strength enhancer Terraloy 9001A modifier increases the pull force that can be applied to PLA over a wide range of drawdown ratios, broadening the processing window of the resin in extrusion blow molding, blown film, cast film and sheet, and thermoforming. Tests indicate that at 6 to 10% addition levels, the masterbatch increases the pull force three- to five-fold (see graph in Fig. 2).

Metal-release agent Terraloy 9002A functions as a mold release in injection molding operations and as a release agent in cast film or sheet extrusion.

“Pelletized Terraloy masterbatches disperse more efficiently and uniformly in PLA than additives that come in powder form, work well in a wide range of processing equipment, and do not affect the clarity of neat PLA polymer,” said Tam. “For each of the three new masterbatch series, Teknor Apex is prepared to custom formulate versions to meet specific processing or performance requirements.” www.teknorapex.com

Impact Properties

Pull force

1.2 1

Gardner Impact on extruded tapes [in-lbs/mil] Gardner impact on injection molded plaques [ft-lbs]

35

0.14

30

0.12

25

0.1

Force [N]

1.4

0.8

20

0.6

15

0.4

10

0.04

0.2

5

0.02

0

PLA Control

5% MB-90000A

10% MB-90000A

20% MB-90000A

0

PLA reference MB-90001 A1 6% MB-90001 A1 10%

0.08 0.06

0

0

5

10

15

20

Draw Down Ratio V [v/vo]

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25

30

35

Additives | Masterbatches

Bio-based Color Concentrates

W

ith the recent development of color concentrates for use with PHBV bioplastics, Teknor Color Company now provides fully bio-based colorants for the four most widely processed bio- and petrochemical-based biodegradable resins, the company announced today.

PLA

Each of the concentrate series is now in commercial use, is classified as a bio-based material in accordance with ASTM D6866, and meets ASTM D6400 requirements for composting in an aerobic facility.

PBAT

The Teknor Color bio-based product range includes concentrates with four different carrier polymers that are compatible, respectively, with these four biodegradable resin families:

PHBV The newest series of color concentrates developed by Teknor Color Company were formulated for this subclass of the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) bioplastic family. PHBV is poly-3-hydroxy butyrate-valerate.

PHB In 2009, Teknor Color collaborated with Telles, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA to develop color concentrates for use with that company‘s Mirel™ PHB (polyhydroxy butyrate) bioplastics, part of the PHA class.

Teknor Color introduced concentrates for use with polylactic acid bioplastics in 2008 and has since supplied colorants for a wide range of PLA applications.

For use with this petrochemical-based biodegradable copolyester (PBAT is poly butylene adipate-co-terephthalate), Teknor Color now offers concentrates with either bio-based or petrochemical-based carrier resins.

One noteworthy recent application of a Teknor Color concentrate for use with Mirel resin is the green clip of the new Paper Mate® biodegradable pen and mechanical pencil (see bM 03/2010).

“Today Teknor Color supplies manufacturers of biodegradable products ranging from can liners to food service ware to writing instruments, and we are developing new formulations to broaden the range of bioplastic resins with which our concentrates can be used,“ said John Wood, technical manager. “Through synergy with our sister business, the Bioplastics Division of Teknor Apex, we are technologically well positioned to be a leading source of colorants for what promises to be a vast and diverse bioplastics sector in the plastics industry.“ www.teknorcolor.com

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Bottle Applications

Beyond Sustainability - Ethical

R

ecent revelations in the New Zealand media about the fate of consumer recycling have raised concerns about all the packaging material used in consumer products. Industry demand for sustainable alternatives combined with this media focus has been the catalyst for the launch of a new organisation whose founders already have a proven record of innovation with bioplastics in the beverage industry.

Grant Jeffrey, of export food processing company Kiwifruitz and Grant Hall, of sustainable packaging initiative Good Water Company, have partnered to establish The Good Packaging Co (GPC), a new business that offers plantbased packaging solutions that are both sustainable and ethical.

Grant Hall calls himself an enviropreneur and even has this title on his business card. His primary goal in life is to revolutionise the package recycling industry by making sustainable, plant based plastics the first choice for food packaging. “I want everyone to use plastics that can be ‘upcycled‘ into products that are good for the environment,“ he says. But he happily admits that his dream is severely hampered by the economic imperative; there isn‘t room in the profit motive to actively choose packaging material because it is ‘good for the environment‘. However, he firmly believes that when sufficient volume of plant based bottles and other packages moves into the recycling stream, what he calls the ‘upcycling‘ of plastics is viable.

Fig.1: The new 375 ml bottle

Water Hall has been in the bottled water industry for 12 years and about 3 years ago he successfully launched Good Water in square 650 ml PLA bottles (see bM 03/2007, bM 05/2008). The water, now also available in a smaller 375 ml bottle (Fig. 1) comes from Kauri Springs at Kaiwaka, in Northland and the bottles are made with Ingeo™ from Natureworks, using plant starch from sustainable, non-GM corn, but can be made from any other organic waste product, as Grant pointed out. Even the labels are certified compostable and sustainable. Grant‘s team are working on a kiwifruit skin/recycled bioplastic cap to tick the final box. It is still at work in progress but “we will get it right.“ GPC work with Clariant who supply biodegradable, natural and organic plasticisers for the development of these products.

“It is worthwhile to mention that a lot of flexible injection moulders here in New Zealand are actively pursuing bioplastics solutions and are contributing towards the development of these solutions,“ Grant Hall said to bioplastics MAGAZINE. Elite Polymers for example, a well respected company are supporting GPC with a 16-cavity cap-tool. “The picture (Fig. 2) shows the three of us after a test run with a PLA based cap at their facility.“ A second spring water that is now available in PLA in New Zealand is ‘Kiwinatural‘, offered by Kiwifruitz, the PLA bottles supplied by GPC.

Wine

Fig. 3: The ‘bottle-to-pottle’ cycle

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But water is not all: The Enviropreneurs have already partnered with Yealands Estate Winery. ‘Peter Yealands has New Zealand‘s leading environmentally sustainable winery, based in Marlborough, and he‘s bravely committed to doing his wine in a bioplastic bottle. We are now close to developing the world‘s first compostable green wine bottle. This is a New Zealand innovation, but it‘s

Bottle Applications

Packaging in New Zealand not quite retail-ready yet,“ says Grant Hall. Besides the well known water vapour barrier issue, for wine oxygen brings an additional challenge for the permeability of the bottle wall.

“But we are confident to have found a good solution that we are currently testing,“ he said to bioplastics MAGAZINE. He added that the New Zealand wine industry is under a lot of pressure overseas, due to the distance they have to ship their products, so a commercially compostable wine bottle will make a big impact.

Ice Cream Other collaborations include Kohu Road Ice Cream to develop some ethical packaging innovations. GPC‘s unique blended bio-polymer materials are NatureWorks’ Ingeo PLA based but in the future could also use some local sources such as Kiwifruit skin. “we expect to see some interesting product launches coming to market shortly,“ Grant Hall said.

End-of-Life The company vision to design and produce the best packaging in New Zealand is among the goals of the Enviropreneurs, but equally important is to take responsibility for it post consumer. In other words they want it back after it‘s been used so that it can be ‘upcycled‘ into another packaging solution. Their philosophy is based on the ‘cradle to cradle‘ model and is now supported by the recycling industry locally.

“When I started about five/six years ago, there was a lot of push-back from the industry including the recyclers, said Grant, “but now we see a real change in paradigm and commitment. The recyclers are engaged with us, they want to know what‘s going on. They’ve started to invest time and energy to contribute towards the ultimate solution - the upcycling of all this material post consumer.“ The mixed glass, plastics and paper waste that is curbsidecollected in blue bins (at least in Auckland, as Grant points out) is being brought to a MRF (Materials Recovery Facility).

Here the PLA can be sorted out via NIR (Near Infra Red) scanning. The company Visy, running the facility in a 50/50 partnership with the local council, have committed to sorting, separating to spec, and baling post consumer PLA when a tipping point in volume of 3 or 4% is reached. “Currently we are at 0.4%, which is not enough,“ said Grant, “but we are getting there.“

So what is upcycling?

“Upcycling is about adding functional and environmental benefits, rather than ‘downcycling,’ as is done today, where products of lower value ultimately end up in landfills anyway,” as Grant Hall put it.

As one example of a product stewardship programme, the company is planning to extract its bottles out of the waste stream, hydrolyse them, infuse with organic nutrients and then reform them into a seedling pot for the forestry industry.

“We‘ve already done a trial with pohutukawa seedlings,“ says Hall, “we‘re working with SCION on the product. Workers can leave the seedling in the pottle which has side slits so that the seedling can be planted into its permanent position in the pottle, and as it degrades, it nourishes the plant.“ They claim trees will perhaps mature three years faster using this method. “Our ultimate aim is ‘bottles to pottles‘ and, then more trees acting as carbon sinks more raw material for biopolymers, creating an ethical full circle (Fig. 3).“ “The people in our team see their role beyond just producing bottles, but as inspiring change and helping other people upgrade their packaging,“ said Hall. “They are happy to work with companies looking for sustainable and ethical packaging. The company has fans in high places, for example, Prime Minister John Key who came to the launch party of the sustainable bottle (Fig. 4) and is following their progress with interest.“ MT

www.goodpackaging.co.nz www.kiwifruitz.co.nz

Fig.2: Grant Hall, Grant Jeffrey and Jared Smith, General Manager at Elite Polymers, [left to right)

Fig. 4: New Zealands Prime Minister John and Grant Hall

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PHA Bioplastics for Caps and Closures

By Kristin Taylor, Business Development Manager, Telles, Lowell, Massachussetts, USA

I

n today’s increasingly green marketplace, bioplastics can provide a strategic market advantage to brand owners by combining the environmental benefits of bioplastics (in this case, PHA) with the physical properties of conventional polymers. In this example, Mirel™ bioplastics were used to replace polypropylene in a cosmetic jar application, offering consumers identical product performance with the potential for reducing waste sent to landfills by providing composting alternatives.

When making the transition from a traditional petroleumbased plastic to an innovative new material such as bioplastic, there is a learning curve that converters must go through to ensure proper material processing. Biopolymers can be processed on traditional process equipment with good results. It is important that processors understand the differences between biopolymers and petroleum-based polymers.

The Telles technical team recently conducted trials with Cosmetic Specialties International (CSI), a Southern California-based plastic injection-molding manufacturer, utilizing their existing molds for jars and caps. The primary objective of the first trial was to successfully mold caps for cosmetic jars using Mirel P1003 injection molding grade material on the customer’s existing production tooling and machinery. The existing tooling was multi-cavity with hotrunners. Because the tool was designed for PP, slight flashing could not be avoided due to the vent geometry.

Proper thread design, equipment and tooling set-up facilitated effective stripping of the Mirel P1003 caps from the mold without thread damage or the use of a collapsible core.

www.mirelplastics.com

Bottle Applications

The second trial conducted at CSI involved molding caps for shampoo bottles using existing PP tooling with collapsible cores. In this case, the male part of the tool (inside of the cap) collapses inward thus allowing the part to be removed without damage to the threads. Molds with collapsible cores are more expensive to manufacture due to their increased complexity. Parts were produced on this tooling with minimal flash and at cycle times comparable to the current PP resin.

Telles (the joint venture between Metabolix and ADM) has made significant strides this year in providing injection molding grades that can be processed on existing equipment and tooling. However, as with any material change, tweaking of the processing conditions and some minor tooling modifications are generally required to provide the most robust and repeatable process. Parts made with Mirel P1003 not only look, feel and perform just like their traditional petroleum-based plastic counterparts, but also offer brand owners significant environmental benefits to distinguish themselves in this increasingly competitive, green market.

Mirel P1003 is a semi-crystalline polyester specifically engineered for injection molding applications with properties comparable to traditional polymers, such as heat resistance, moisture resistance, high modulus and outstanding shelf stability. The P1003 resin can be easily colored using a Mirel-based masterbatch color without affecting its physical properties or biodegradability.

“Jars, double-wall containers, and closures made from this material are ideal for a family of cosmetics, skincare, hair care, styling products, and body scrubs. These containers are easy to silk screen and to decorate,” explained Hiram Santana, Director of Marketing & Business Development at CSI. “With the combination of material performance and the environmental benefits, this is an excellent material for brand owners with corporate sustainability goals who want to bring an environmentally responsible product line to market.”

Mirel is biobased and biodegradable in natural soil and water environments, home composting systems, and industrial composting facilities, where these facilities are available. The rate and extent of Mirel’s biodegradability will depend on the size and shape of the articles made from it.

However, like nearly all bioplastics and organic matter, Mirel is not designed to biodegrade in conventional landfills.

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Bottle Applications

Continued Success for Sant‘Anna Bio-Bottle

S

ant’Anna di Vinadio mineral water from the Italian mineral water company Fonti di Vinadio Spa, has now been available in Ingeo™ PLA bottles for about two years now. The company, located in the North Italian Piedmont, continues to successfully penetrate the market with its sustainable product.

Success Last year’s experience showed that, with suitable support, sales figures increased by double figures percentages. This is why Sant’Anna general manager Alberto Bertone has decided to invest further in this business. He has appointed a sales manager specifically for the new bio-bottle business. One of the tasks for the new sales manager is to prepare for the export of Sant’Anna in PLA bottles.

Currently the sales figures are close to four million units per year in Italy alone – without the expected exports.

Caps With regard to closures Sant’Anna is actively working to replace the present caps with bio-based caps. This project is not yet complete but Alberto Bertone is confident of having a solution by the end of the year. In the meantime, the label has been converted to a Ingeo PLA label.

Export Although Sant’Anna does not yet export PLA bottles, they are actively working to start exporting, with the main focus on Germany. In this market it is vital to find a cap solution which will fulfil the requirements of the legislation regarding waste-tax exemption.

End-of-Life A portion of the Sant’Anna bottles end up in the organic waste stream for composting. The majority of the bottles are collected with all the other plastic bottles. The automatic sorting equipment currently used separates only PET, so that PLA bottles together with other non-PET bottles end up in the incinerator stream used in the creation of carbon neutral renewable energy. Evidently, the automatic sorting plant works efficiently so there are no complaints about PET pollution caused by PLA.

Outlook On being asked about the future plans and prospecs, bioplastics MAGAZINE was told that the medium term plan is to improve efficiency and consequently to reduce the production cost and final price to the consumer. Having PLA bottled water at a lower selling price is certain to increase the market share. In addition the consumer target group has been enlarged by adding a new bottle size. Sant’Anna has just launched its new 1-litre bottle. This new bottle completes Sant’Anna’s range of Ingeo bottled water with 0.5 litres, 1 litre, and 1.5 litres sizes to suit all customer needs.

It is of interest to note that this new 1-litre size of Sant’Anna di Vinadio mineral water is only offered in a PLA bottle. One litre PET is not available. Thus consumers have no choice but to select the Ingeo bottle if they require a one litre pack.

Further investments have been made on the technical side too. In order to overcome the limited shelf life of the traditional bottle, Sant’Anna has increased the weight of the bottle. For example, the shelf life of the 1-litre bottle has been increased from 4 to 6 months. Furthermore, the design of the bottle has been modified to minimise bottle panelling due to evaporation. MT www.santanna.it

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Bottle Applications

B

ormioli Rocco, from Italy, a leading European supplier of glass and plastic bottles for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries, has been steadily gaining expertise with its Ingeo™ PLA bio bottle initiative. Bormioli Rocco reports that its method for injectionstretch-blow-molded PLA bottles is optimum for ensuring consistently high-quality packaging. Bormioli Rocco produces stretch-blow-molded bottles. According to the company, the key to consistent quality is the precisely controlled temperature of preforms prior to stretch molding. Three cosmetic companies are among the first to bring Bormioli Rocco bio bottles to market. Each brand owner emphasizes a concern for the environment and bio-based formulations.

Last year Artec, Torbole Casaglia, Italy, began packaging some of its Naturalmente line of hair care products in 250 ml Bormioli Rocco manufactured Ingeo bottles. Since the introduction of the packaging, Artec reports three fold sales growth. Artec plans to offer additional Naturalmente formulations in translucent bio bottles. MT

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www.bormiolirocco.com www.eudermic.it www.altromercato.it www.naturalmente-artec.com

Also based in Italy, with headquarter in Bolzano, Ctm altromercato Consortium is a leader in fair and supportive trade. Using ingredients from flowers, fruits, and herbs, the organization launched the Natyr bio line of products for face and body several years ago. Recently the consortium introduced Natyr formulations packaged in transparent Bormioli Rocco bio bottles.

Cosmetic Bottles

EUDERMIC SRL, Legnano, Italy, founded in 1994, specializes in natural and spa cosmetics. Impact Zero is the firm’s latest line and includes certified organic lotions for infants, older children, and adults, packaged in Bormioli Rocco’s Ingeo bio bottles. Secondary packaging is made from recycled fiber and is recyclable. Impact Zero is widely available in Italy and distribution is growing within other European countries.

Bottle Applications

The Ritz-Carlton goes Prima

P

rima™ Water - wait a minute - bioplastics MAGAZINE reported about Primo Water from Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 2008 and 2009 … but Prima?

Well, yes, they have changed their brand to Prima mainly to separate the business and the communication from their 3 and 5 gallon water bottles and water cooler products. So Prima can now focus their brand communication against its very distinct and unique product attribute of the bottle being made from renewable and sustainable plants, (Ingeo™ PLA), not petroleum like PET, a depleting and non-renewable resource.

Success “Our business is growing very nicely, with strong double digit sales increases,“ said Tim Ronan, VP Marketing & Sales at Prima, to bioplastics MAGAZINE. “We have added terrific new retail partners, for instance nationwide 2,200 Kroger stores, 95 Fresh Market stores, 200 Ingles and 350 Wilco/Hess convenience stores.“ Just recently, Prima was named the bottled water of choice for all of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel properties in North America and Caribbean (more details below).

In addition to the 16 ounce bottles Prima just introduced a new 20 ounce bottle for the convenience and foodservice channels. As the pricing is very competitive, (e.g. $4.99 for a 24 pack), consumers don’t have to sacrifice economically to do something good for the environment.

End of life Being asked for the end-of-life scenario of Prima PLA bottles, Tim Ronan explained that their focus has always started with the beginning of life; using a natural, sustainable and renewable material; not oil based resins.

The options for end of life recovery remain the same. The Prima bottle can be recycled, commercially composted and incinerated. Tim believes that most consumers are using their local recycling systems today but the use or interest in composting continues to grow, especially with colleges, universities and restaurants. Actually, Prima is the only beverage bottle of any kind in the US certified by the Biodegradable Plastics Institute (BPI) as meeting all ASTM guidelines for compostability. All PLA-based bottles can be sorted using NIR (Near-Infrared) equipment. Sorting PLA has been proven on several occasions. As described in bM Issue 04/2009 Prima has taken an extra step of blending a UV detectable, food safe dye into PLA that allows the Prima bottle to actually ‘glow‘ a purple color under a simple low wattage black light. This allows for an economical way to manually sort Prima if a recycler does not have NIR equipment.

And then there is BioCor, announced in March with Mike Centers as the Managing Director and a mission to buy both consumer and industrial PLA materials from recyclers and manufacturers. There is a program in place where recyclers can collect and be paid a competitive rate for PLA bottles/ materials. Those collected materials will be sent to a contracted facility that will hydrolyze the materials back to 100% pure lactic acid, which will then be

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Bottle Applications

sold to Natureworks to be made into Ingeo PLA resin. This is a new end of life proof that Ingeo and any PLA material can be returned 100% back to its natural, renewable, sustainable form.

In Europe this so called chemical recycling back into lactic acid is offered by Galactic under the brand name Loopla®

Outlook Currently not exporting, Prima is getting requests to export Prima Water to Canada, England, Ireland, Switzerland, Australia, Kuala Lumpur, Saudi Arabia and New Zealand.

“We are selling Prima in over 4,500 locations throughout the US in all major channels: grocery, convenience and foodservice,“ as Tim Ronan pointed out. “We continue to expand our distribution, and will have our best year to date in 2010. And we have a great deal of interest from a number of new customers so we anticipate continued strong growth in all channels in 2011 and beyond. Bioresin plastics are now an accepted packaging alternative to oil based packaging by retailers and importantly, consumers.“

The Ritz-Carlton Commitment As part of its commitment to environmental responsibility, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company (part of Marriott International) has taken an important step — the offering of environmentally-friendly Prima PLA water bottles at its North American hotels and select properties in the Caribbean.

Noting the waste that is caused by using an estimated five million, 16oz plastic bottles every year at those properties, Simon F. Cooper, president and chief operating officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, challenged his team responsible for sustainable programs to find a better solution. After 18 months of research, and working with a variety of vendors, The Ritz-Carlton developed a partnership with Prima to create a co-branded bottle that is rich with sustainability opportunities.

The addition of Prima water is expected to transition to all North American and select Caribbean properties within these months. “We believe our guests will be enthusiastic and enthused about this latest initiative from The Ritz-Carlton to do more than just talk about being eco-friendly, but to take concrete action steps that make a real difference,” Cooper concluded.

The bottles are given to the guest as complimentary offers for example when their rooms are prepared for the night or when they get their cars back from valet parking. Even organizers of events or meetings can order these bottles for the meeting rooms. For the in-room coffee machines, The Ritz-Carlton would like to have an 8.5 oz bottle, as Denise Naguib, Corporate Director, Environmental Programs at Marriott International explained to bioplastics MAGAZINE. Being asked about the end-of-life options for the PLA bottles at The Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Denise said that all of their hotels are doing one of the following end of life cycle processes: They can work with their local recycling company to collect and sort the PLA from other plastics and the recycling company is then sending the product for example to BioCor for chemical recycling back into lactic acid. Another possibility is for the property to collect the PLA on-property and work with a PLA collector, such as BioCor to send it back for reprocessing. Or, the PLA can be incorporated into their existing commercial composting system where available. In every instance, the properties are encouraged to utilize any method to keep bottles and anything recyclable, out of the landfill.

http://primabottle.com http://corporate.ritzcarlton.com

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From Science & Research

Plasma-Assisted Barrier Coating

T

he continuing replacement of metal and glass packaging has lead to a constant increase in the use of plastics like polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for packaging. In 2009, 885 billion liters of beverages were expected to be bottled in PET, which account for 33.6 % of the overall bottled volume [1]. The protection of sensitive goods like soft drinks (CSD), teas or mineral water poses high demands on the packaging regarding CO2 loss, flavor loss and O2 ingress.

The permeation of these gases limits the shelf life of the beverages.

deposition of plasma-polymerized permeation barriers. The pulsed microwave radiation is guided from four surrounding slot antennas into the bottle inside igniting the plasma as a confined thin skin on the inner bottle wall.

Besides the use of PET as source material for the production of beverage bottles, a trend towards alternative materials as polypropylene (PP) [2] and polylactide (PLA) can be observed.

First studies are done with HMDSO/oxygen (prefix H) mixtures and acetylene with the addition of argon (prefix E) varying microwave power, gas flow and gas composition. The studies are carried out with a total coating time of 2.5 sec.

When speech comes to the sustainability of packaging materials, bio-based and biodegradable materials such as the biopolymer polylactide (PLA) represent an attractive alternative to PET. Disadvantages are its softening point of around 60ºC and its relatively poor barrier properties to water vapour, oxygen and CO2 permeation. Table 1 shows typical permeation coefficients for PET, PP and PLA.

The first qualitative tests to investigate the layer adhesion on the different substrates, using a tape test, show that good adhesion to the substrate can only be achieved on PET. Further tests were made to increase the layer adhesion by means of a pre-treatment in a plasma using non-layer forming gases. The tests show that for PLA a pre-treatment in an O2 plasma leads to good results and can be incorporated in the deposition process.

oxygen (DIN 53380)

carbon dioxide (DIN 53380)

PET

1.000 - 2.500

5.000 - 10.000

PP

40.000 - 60.000

132.000 - 212.000

30 - 50

PLA

6.250 - 15.000

25.000 - 80.000

6.000 - 45.000

(cm³∙mm / m²∙d∙bar) (cm³∙mm / m²∙d∙bar)

water vapor (DIN 53122)

(g∙mm / m²∙d)

100 - 200

Table 1: Typical permeation coefficients of oriented PET-, PP- and PLA-films at 23 °C

A well known and industrially used technology for barrier improvement of PET-bottles is the plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) [3].

Therefore, the Institute of Plastics Processing at RWTH Aachen University (IKV) has investigated the transfer of existing plasma barrier coating technologies used for PET to novel materials, such as PLA and PP.

Experimental For the experiments, a microwave-induced plasma reactor for inner coatings of hollow bodies was used (principle shown in Fig. 1). In the apparatus, the inner volume of the bottle is evacuated to 20 Pa while the outer volume of the bottle is evacuated to a much lower pressure. Process gases such as hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) or acetylene (C2H2) in combination with argon or oxygen are being induced for the

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In order to reduce the influence of different bottle geometries on the deposition process, similar bottle shapes with a volume of 0.5 liter, uniform neck geometry and a standard PCO 28 mm thread were used.

Results and Discussion

For a further investigation of the layer adhesion on the different substrates, scanning electron microscopy technique is being used on bent sample pieces of coated bottles. Fig. 2 shows the surface of acetylene and HMDSO/O2-coated PET and PLA samples after bending.

It was found that under stress straight parallel cracks appear on the coating surfaces. Both coatings are deposited smoothly with no obvious delamination of the coatings thus indicating a high adhesion strength between the substrate and the deposited layer.

Unlike the observed behaviour on PET, it was found that the surface of the coatings seems to be much rougher on PLA with a completely different crack propagation.

Therefore, the results lead to the conclusion that the use of different substrate materials has an influence on the plasma process itself and especially on the structure of the plasmapolymer layers and their behavior to an exposition to stress.

In order to evaluate the barrier performance of deposited barrier coatings oxygen permeance measurements were carried out at constant temperature of 23°C and constant relative humidity. The achieved barrier improvement (“BIF” = barrier improvement factor, which can be seen in Fig. 3) related

From Science & Research Slot Antenna

Bottle

Microwave Shield Grid

Quartz Glass

Article contributed by Walter Michaeli, Karim Bahroun, Friederike v. Fragstein, Henrik Behm Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV) RWTH Aachen, Germany

to oxygen permeability compared to uncoated bottles is higher in tendency for acetylene based coatings with a high gas flow and microwave radiation.

The results show that BIF values can be reached that reduce oxygen permeability levels of PP and PLA bottles, approaching those of an uncoated PET bottle.

Conclusions

Microwave Generators

Gas Feed Throttle Valve

Fig. 1: Interior coating of bottles by microwave plasma polymerization

The presented results show that it is possible to achieve adhering coatings with good O2 barrier properties on PET, PP and PLA. In order to deposit effectively firm-bonded plasma polymer layers on polymer substrates a good adhesion to the substrate is important. For PP and PLA the adhesion can be improved by means of a plasma-assisted pretreatment using non-layer forming gases like O2 or N2.

For PLA, the surface treatment can be integrated into the coating process.

The results clearly indicate an influence of different substrate materials on the plasma process and thereby on the structure of the plasmapolymer layers and their behavior under strain.

In a next step, possibilities to improve the barrier performance of plasma-polymerized layers on polymers are under investigation. One possible technique is the combined interior and consecutive exterior coating of bottles.

The research project (No. 16306 N) of the Forschungsvereinigung Kunststoffverarbeitung was sponsored as part of the „Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung“ (IGF) by the German Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie (BMWi) through the AiF, to whom we extend our thanks.

Fig. 2: SEM images of bent plasmapolymer coatings on PET and PLA

BIF 5,0 3,0

O2 permeance [cm³ / (pkg·d·bar)]

Acknowledgements

BIF 11,7

BIF 3,8

2,68

2,5 2,0

References [1] N.N., ‘Glas, PET oder Karton?“ Verpackungs-Rundschau, 9, 14-26 (2009) [2] Gahleitner, M., Wachholder, M., ‘Auf der Überholspur“, Kunststoffe, 12, 47-49 (2005) [3] Grill, A.: Cold Plasmas in Materials Technology, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc., New York (1994) www.ikv-aachen.de

1,5

1,28

1,0 0,5 0,0

0,10

PET uncoated coated

0,34

0,23

0,02 PP

PLA

Ethyne based coating Temperature: 23°C BIF = Barrier Improvement Factor

Fig. 3: Oxygen permeance of coated bottles (acetylene based coatings)

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Application News

Peepoo, a Toilet for the Poorest Have you ever heard of aviãozinhos? Probably not, as you probably do not live in the favelas - the slums of Rio de Janeiro. Aviãozinho is the Portuguese word for ‘small aircraft’. In other shanty towns or slums in the world expressions like ‘scud missiles’ or ‘flying bombs’ are well known and dreaded. All these words stand for plastic bags that are, for lack of a toilet, filled with ‘nature’s call’ and then flung away as far as possible. “Please don’t step on any plastic. It might contain a bomb!” warns John Murage, assistant project officer for the African Medical Research Foundation’s (Amref) Integrated Primary Health Care Programme in Nairobi’s Kibera slums.

Two and a half billion people do not have access to a toilet, 70 % of them living in cities. Most of them do not have a choice other than using plastic bags or doing it on an open space.

One solution to improve the situation - at least slightly - is Peepoo. The word is derived from the English kid’s expressions for urine and excreta. A Peepoo is a bag made from a biodegradable plastic based on BASF’s Ecoflex and coated with urea on the inside, which works to rapidly destroy pathogens. The two-layer design of the bags ensures that the bacteria in human excreta do not come into Photo: Ashley Wheaton contact with the skin because the inner, wider, tube helps to keep the hands clean when holding or closing the bag. After use the bags can be collected for disposal on agricultural areas where they serve as fertilizer or they can be buried anywhere.

oo How to use the Peep

toilet 3

2

1

The system is particularly beneficial for women, who can go to the toilet at their convenience in places where it is not socially acceptable for women to leave the home or to be seen accessing sanitation facilities (or defecating in the open).

These women will experience reduced stress and health problems related to withholding urine and faeces (such as urinary tract infections and constipation); and they will not be exposed to the physical and sexual abuse that occurs at night when many women wait to go to the toilet under cover of darkness.

1 2

The German ‘Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ)’ recently did a comprehensive study on ‘A medium-scale trial of single-use, self-sanitising toilet bags in poor urban settlements in Bangladesh. The 92 page report, in English, can be downloaded from www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/201004.

Developed by the Swedish architect Anders Wilhelmson, small amounts of peepoo bags are being tested this summer. His company Peepoople will then start mass production.

6

5

4

MT

www.peepoople.com

7

8

9

Wash your hands!

march 2010

oople.com)

© Peepoole (www.peep 26

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Application News

First Biodegradable Piping Bag Shiseido Personal Care Products for China Shiseido, a major Japanese and international cosmetics company, offers its URARA branded shampoo, conditioner, body soap, and other personal care products packaged in new Ingeo™ natural plastic bottles now in China.

The URARA branded products will be available at more than 3,500 retail locations throughout China.

Chinese consumers are increasingly focused on products and manufacturing activities that are more environmentally sustainable. Shiseido thinks Chinese consumers will respond favorably to the new bottle, which is 51% Ingeo natural plastic resin in composition. Furthermore, Shiseido has not only reduced greenhouse gas emissions and effluents from its operations, but also planted trees in China as an offset to CO2 in the atmosphere.

Shiseido has been promoting environmental responsibility in all its business areas since the company established its ‘Shiseido Eco Policy‘ in 1992. In March 2009 Shiseido was the first organization in the cosmetic industry to be certified as an Eco First Company, by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment. Only those companies making significant environmental gains in all aspects of their operations qualify for Eco First certification. www.shiseido.com

KEE Plastics AB from Norrköping, Sweden, one of the world’s leading producers of piping bags, introduces the world’s first truly biodegradable and compostable piping bag made from FKuR’s bioresins.

KEE Plastics have developed a multi-layer biofilm bag which combines excellent mechanical properties with perfect grip. “Using a highly viscous paste is tricky! Our piping bags are famous for their seal strength and overall quality,” says Gunilla Ejeblad, Managing Director of KEE Plastics, “Thanks to FKuR´s material properties and the excellent application support; we were able to make it out of Bioplastics!”

For the Piping Bag various Bio-Flex® grades were selected. The special multilayer system provides an outstanding seal strength and modulus as well as a high degree of renewability along with excellent extrusion performance. The in-line production also puts extreme demands on the integrity and reproducibility of the materials used. In addition these Piping Bags are biodegradable (according to EN 13432) and have all of the necessary food approvals.

KEE Plastics produces piping bags, which are manufactured in Sweden. The company holds patents for piping bag solutions. ‘Kee-seal Ultra‘ and ‘Kee-seal‘ are trade marks of KEE Plastics and since last October they have added the new biodegradable solution ‘Kee-Bio‘.

www.keeplastics.se www.fkur.com

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Application News

Soccer Ball for Africa Pebax® Rnew, a bio-sourced elastomer produced by Arkema, France has been selected by Sony for a new original soccer ball. “We set ourselves the challenge to create a ball for the African children. The result is a brand new, highly durable football made from a super-tough, bioplastic material,” says the Sony website, spefically dedicated to this project, “We gave the ball a name - ‘Join the Team!’, that reflects our vision of children chasing their dreams and sharing the joys of football with their friends.” The ball was specifically developed for donation to children in Africa.

In many African countries, including Republic of South Africa, where just recently the Spanish team won the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ and for which Sony was an official sponsor, soccer is often being played in very demanding conditions, which shortens durability of the balls.

Wishing the children to play soccer as long as possible, Sony has leveraged its expertise in material research to make ‘Join the Team!’, a unique soccer ball built to endure Africa’s rugged terrains, in which Pebax Rnew is used. This high durability thermoplastic elastomer, is partially made from a non-edible renewable resource, castor oil, which contributes to reduce global warming. This ball features a dual layered surface, one of them being in Pebax Rnew, which brings 1.6 times higher durability than conventional soccer balls.

The footballs were and will be distributed by NGOs UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) and JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) - during and after the 2010 World Cup. This football donation program is part of a wider project called ‘Earth FC’ which aims to draw the attention of the international community to the major health challenges facing Africa, e.g. the spread of AIDS. MT

www.sony.net/earthfc www.arkema.com

Golf Players Feed Fish The Spanish golf ball supplier Albus Golf S.L. has developed a ball that is – according to the company – 100% biodegradable and non-toxic. The Spanish have just launched the so-called Ecobioball to allow players to play near water without littering the lakes etc. on the course, and to play golf close to aquatic environments (sea, ocean, rivers, lakes and ponds).

Once the balls hit the water they biodegrade in less than 48 hours, says Albus Golf. In less than 24 hours their external water-soluble synthetic polymer coating starts to open and between 36 and 48 hours the internal core, comprising 100% fish food, is released into the water. The material used for the shell is manufactured from non-contaminating materials such as PVA, and is certified as a biodegradable by LGAI Technological Center according to OECD 301D. Tests also confirm non-toxicity to fish and daphnia.

Ecobioball has the same physical appearance as any other golf ball with a weight of 50.5 grams ± 1.5 grams and a diameter of 42.8 mm ± 1 mm. Where short irons are used the distance achieved can be the same as with a normal ball, while long irons may achieve up to 70-80% of the usual distance, and woods can drive up to 60-70% of the usual distance. In any case, the purpose of the biodegradable golf ball is not so much to obtain the maximum driving distance but rather to have the opportunity to practise close to marine environments without polluting them, and to bring added value to such environments. The single-use product opens up the possibility of practising golf on, for instance, cruise ships, beaches, seafront hotels and resorts and helps beginners when trying to get past the water hazards.

Albert Buscato, CEO of Albus Golf, thinks that it is, of course, going to be a while before something like this makes its way into championship golf. But since it is a single-use ball, the cost will be considerably lower than the average golf ball. BSL

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www.albusgolf.com

& J O I N T LY

P R E S E N T

THE FIFTH ANNUAL GLOBAL AWARD FOR DEVELOPERS, MANUFACTURERS AND USERS OF BIO-BASED PLASTICS.

Call for proposals Enter your own product, service or development, or nominate your favourite example from another organisation

Please let us know: and does rvice or development is se t, uc od pr e th at Wh an award 1. velopment should win de or ce rvi se t, uc od pr 2. Why you think this nisation does osed) company or orga op pr e th (or ur yo at 3. Wh ge) and may also 500 words (approx 1 pa ochures and/or ed ce ex t no ld ou sh try Your en keting br graphs, samples, mar be supported with photo . technical documentation m

ded fro try form can be downloa More details and an en ne.de/award www.bioplasticsmagazi

The Bioplastics Award will be presented during the 5th European Bioplastics Conference December 1/2, 2010, D端sseldorf, Germany

supported by

Report

Materia Nova Material R&D Centre Article contributed by Vincent Berthé Research Scientist MateriaNova Materials R&D center Ghislenghien, Belgium

B

ringing to market a new generation of polymers and composites requires developments that meet corporate specifications. Specialised in the field of polymer extrusion and reactive interface modifications, Materia Nova Material R&D Centre plays the bridging role between fundamental research and industrial development.

Established by the University of Mons, Belgium, Materia Nova has operated as an autonomous non-profit organisation since 2001. The centre employs 80 multidisciplinary, highly qualified researchers, most of them with a PhD, as well as engineers and technicians specialised in polymer engineering, organic chemistry, surface treatments, biomaterials and white biotechnology.

Backed by this staff, and well-equipped research and development laboratories, Materia Nova offers technological guidance and consulting, for example in the fields of materials sourcing, process trouble shooting as well as support for scale-up and industrial development.

To offer such services, Materia Nova‘s competences are in the fields of bio-based plastics, biodegradable materials, compatibilised polymer blends and (nano)composites, backed-up by active collaboration with academic institutes. Materia Nova maintains active collaboration with both Belgian and French competitiveness clusters. In addition, we support collaborative research partners and help is provided through the grant application process.

Bio-based polymers “Recycled agricultural waste and non-crop bio-fermented polyesters need to break into the food-versus-fuel debate”, said Dr. Luc Langer, CEO of Materia Nova. “In order to provide sustainable and competitive plastics and composites, new raw materials from non-food sources are already being studied to compete with existing advanced plastic materials. However, control of their blend and reinforcement with traditional plastics also have to be addressed”.

In this respect Materia Nova focuses on activities to supplant part of commodity plastics and chemicals, including green technologies, such as solvent-free synthesis, reactive extrusion and biomass conversion organisms to produce non-food based monomers, additives and fillers The development work significantly participates in the success that polylactide P(L)LA is currently enjoying by emerging as one of the leading bioplastic materials. Indeed Materia Nova provides R&D support for the launch of the first P(L)LA production demo unit in Europe, owned by Futerro (a 50/50 joint venture between Total Petrochemicals and Galactic, see bM 03/2010).

Other fields of activity are succinic acid, for example to investigate polymer blends based on modified poly-butylene-succinate (PBS).

Materia Nova is also very active in converting agricultural waste (such as starch) into processable plastic materials thanks to chemical modifications, blending and plasticization. We develop new composite materials based on polyesters (obtained from sugar beet or maize starch) and thermally treated gypsum or organo-clay with excellent mechanical and fire resistance properties. Composites based on functionalised or sized vegetal fibres are also achievable.

The corresponding applications range from rigid packaging to equipment shells using, for example, reinforced woven PLA fibres.

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Report Biodegradable materials Creating innovative compostable and home-compostable polymers is another part of Materia Nova‘s portfolio. Some of the promising fundamental research projects aim at tuning biobased polymer durability and biodegradability while controlling their mechanical properties and useful lifetime.

Nanocomposites Materia Nova developed considerable expertise in the preparation of nanocomposites based on innovative fillers (e.g. layered clay and needle-like clay, carbon nanotubes, expanded graphites, cellulose nanofibrils and nanowhiskers, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes or POSS, metal oxides, etc.). Different dispersion methods of these nanoparticles were elaborated both in thermoplastic and elastomeric matrices, as well as in thermosets. Depending on the chemical nature and the structure of the dispersed nanoparticles and relative content, a large set of properties displayed by the resulting nanocomposite can be monitored:  control rigidity / ductility ratio  improvement of fire resistance while maintaining transparency  control of viscosity and rheology  increase in electrical conductivity  control of fluid permeability

Scaling up Materia Nova also provides scaling-up and compounding services dedicated to start-ups, SME’s and large chemical companies that wish to test new synthesis paths, innovative blends or composites before launching production of those new products. “Via our plastic production unit located in Ghislenghien, Belgium, we are able to help industry to develop viable commercial products,” said Dr. Langer. Batch reactors, from 5 mL to 20 L and reactive extrusion technologies from lab scale (100 g/h) to pilot scale (300 kg/h) are available

Pictures: Materia Nova / Client: Ex-Nihilo / © Denis Lécuyer-PixPix & Colegram / © Materia Nova

Conclusion In addition to performing confidential R&D contractual projects, Materia Nova uses its skills to collaborate with universities and EU public organizations, fulfilling their mission by accelerating the emergence of advanced materials technology while targeting industrial applications. Scale-up services to meet specific industrial requirements are also provided.

“It is an exciting time to be involved in the advanced polymer and compounding industry,“ said Dr. Langer. The number of requests that we are receiving for speciality materials keeps increasing every year. Effective innovations are being developed to meet industry‘s needs while processes are being adapted to new raw materials such as bio-based ones.

Materia Nova‘s vision: “Nature for future innovative and sustainable solutions made by today’s people” www.materianova.be

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From Science & Research

PBS Particle Foam Article contributed by Pia Borelbach and Thomas Wodke, Scientists, Business Unit Renewable Resources Fraunhofer UMSICHT, Oberhausen, Germany

F

oamed plastics produced from fossil based polymers are found in many applications, for example as shock-absorbent packaging or as thermal insulating material. Particle foams based on bioplastics are the subject of recent developments. Scientists at Fraunhofer UMSICHT and the Ruhr-Universit채t Bochum (RUB) have developed, within a research project, a path to produce particle foam parts based on bioplastics and have realised this with polybutylene succinate (PBS) as an example.

In a two-year joint research project Fraunhofer UMSICHT in Oberhausen and the Ruhr-Universit채t Bochum, both Germany, examined the idea of a novel, two-step process for particle foam from bioplastics. In a first step foamed particles, also containing a blowing agent, were to be manufactured using a high pressure spraying process. In the second process step foamed parts are produced from these particles. For this purpose the Ruhr-Universit채t Bochum examined for the first time the encapsulation of a liquid physical blowing agent in a highly viscous bioplastic using the PGSS process (Particles from Gas Saturated Solutions). The work carried out by Fraunhofer UMSICHT included the development of bioplastics compounds for the PGSS process, the construction of an experimental foam moulding device and the investigation of the foaming behaviour of bioplastic particles.

The essential basic project objectives were achieved.

Concerning the PGSS process, the possibility of encapsulating liquids in highly viscous polymers was proven experimentally. This was successfully achieved with the encapsulation of water in the biopolymer PBS. However, the PGSS process failed to produce free-flowing and conveyable bioplastic particles suitable for an

Figure 1: Expandable particles from PBS

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From Science & Research

expanded foam process due to diverse unforeseeable technical difficulties. Therefore the consistency of the two-stage process idea, as specified in the project proposal, was not achieved.

Figure 1 shows foam particles that were manufactured with the PGSS process from PBS. Due to the failure to produce suitable particle morphologies with the PGSS process, additional trials for the production of particles by extrusion were carried out. This approach was successfully converted into practice. Particles from PBS could be manufactured on a specific extrusion line and foamed to produce parts in a second step. Figure 2 shows the experimental foam moulding device and Figure 3 shows an expanded part from PBS. It is recommended, for industrial production, to develop an extrusion line with underwater pelletiser with back pressure for the first process step, which will enable the production of pressure-compressible, foamed polymer particles by the use of chemical or also physical blowing agents. With high level of probability, these foamed polymer particles can be converted to foamed parts on existing process lines and tools, comparable to the industrial expanded polypropylene (EPP) process. The essential future development approaches are the optimisation of the extrusion technique, the blowing agent system and the bioplastic compound in order clearly to lower the density of the expandable particles and the foamed parts to the level of EPS and EPP. The project idea, i.e. the production of foamed parts in a continuous process using the PGSS process, could not be realised. However, the scientific objectives, in particular the spraying of high viscosity polymers in the PGSS process by RUB and the production of foamed parts from a bioplastic by Fraunhofer UMSICHT, were achieved. The development work, which began with this project, should be continued. Concerning the PGSS process, various basis works with regard to the spraying and encapsulating of high viscosity polymers is still to be carried out. After completion of this basis work on the development of concrete applications can be decided. The development work concerning the use of bioplastics for particle foamed parts is supposed to be progressed quickly in collaborative projects with industry. The developments focus mainly on the extrusion and pelletiser technique, the blowing agent selection, as well as the material selection and optimisation of the bioplastic compound.

Figure 2: Experimental foam moulding device

Figure 3: Part of expanded PBS

Interested companies can get in touch for application developments with the scientific research institutions.

Furthermore, for detailed information the project final report can be downloaded (in German language) from www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/201004. The research project No.15383N of the research association VEU was supported via the AiF within the framework of the ‘promotion of the industrial cooperative research and development (IGF)‘ programme from the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology. www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de

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Basics

Basics of Compounding

by Michael Thielen

W

hat is compounding? Wikipedia says, “Compounding consists of preparing plastic formulations by mixing or/and blending polymers and additives in a molten state. There are different critical criteria to achieve a homogenous blend of the different raw materials“ [1].

And why do we need compounding?

Like most thermoplastics, pure bioplastics (starch, PLA, PHA, PBS and others), when they come out of the (bio) reactor or straight from nature resp., are not ready to use, i.e. they cannot be directly processed with standard converting equipment such as extrusion or injection moulding machines. In most cases the properties and characteristics of ‘pure‘ bioplastics are not directly and completely suitable for certain processing techniques and/or applications and thus need to be tailored according to the specific needs [2, 3].

Therefore plastics, and especially bioplastics, are blended or mixed with fillers and additives. Sometimes even different types of bioplastic (and sometimes conventional plastics) are blended with each other. They are ‘compounded‘ into more functional, and in many cases applicationtailored and process-tailored materials. The aim especially is to adapt the mechanical property profile of the polymer to the required properties in the final product, such as flexibility, UV stability, impact resistance, etc.

Fig. 1: Co-Rotating Twin screw extrusion [2]

Native starch, for instant is not even thermoplastic. It has to be ‘cooked‘ or plasticized using liquid plasticizers [2].

A further very important aspect of the compounding step is getting rid of excess water that is either a natural component of the biopolymer or moisture that is absorbed from the atmosphere but causes heavy hydrolysis/depolymerisation. Water in the final product will cause, for example, major problems in blow film processes [2].

Furthermore, it is possible to adjust lifetime and degradation characteristics via a compounding step [2] and in some cases cheaper ingredients such as certain natural fibers or wood flour is used simply to reduce the cost of a compound [5].

The compounding of raw bioplastics requires special knowledge in the field of additives and a smooth compounding process.

The Ingredients So what is being mixed or compounded? On the one hand, different raw bioplastics are mixing partners (phases) themselves, for example PLA and PBAT (polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate). On the other hand coupling agents or compatibilitizers between these phases are needed.

Sometimes, coupling is done by cross linking by means of intelligent reactive extrusion (e.g. for transesterfications). Furthermore there are some intelligent fillers [3].

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Basics

Bioplastics Fillers can be for instance chalk, talc or wood flour.

Another compounding ingredient can be fibres.

Even if traditional reinforcing fibres, such as glass fibres could be used without compromising the ‘biobased carbon‘ and the biodegradability, natural fibres like hemp, kenaf, abaca, bamboo, cellulose or wood are preferable for use with bioplastics (see bM 03/2010). If flexibility is needed, fibres can be counterproductive. If however a higher strength and stiffness is required, fibres could be helpful [3].

And then there are the mystical additives. It would be too much to go into detail here (please see separate articles in this issue). Such additives are, for example, compatibalizers to improve the blendability or mixability of different plastics, i.e. to handle the liquid dispersion of different immiscible phases (an alloy between hydrophobic and hydrophilic phases, like an emulsion) [2].

Coupling agents can be applied to enhance the adhesion between fibres and the plastic itself. Plasticizers help make plastics softer, more elastic or flexible.

And then there are UV stabilizers, impact modifiers, chain extenders (to improve processability in film blowing), crystallisation aids and ­ - of course - colours!

[2, 3, 4, 5]

Fig. 2: Screw elements on multi-profile screw-shaft [7]

Process and equipment Again, we first ask Wikipedia: “Dispersive and distributive mixing as well as heat are important factors. Co-kneaders and twin screws (co-rotating and counter-rotating) as well internal mixers are the most commonly used compounders in the plastics industry“ [1].

Bioplastics tend to be heat and shear sensitive, and often they need high torque. Good mixing is needed, so co-kneaders, internal mixers, single screw and counter-rotating extruders are almost never used for compounding of bioplastics. The machine type of choice is a co-rotating twin screw extruder [2, 5]. These screws are in most cases individually ‘built‘ to purpose from different kinds of screw elements assembled on the two screw-shafts (Fig. 1 and 2) Co-rotating twin-screw extruders offer the following characteristics [4]:  Intensive material and heat exchange thanks to the permanent melt transfer from one screw to the other  Almost perfect self-cleaning effect and narrow residence time profile produced by the closely intermeshing screws  Efficient melt degassing by axially open screw channels  Output rate independent of speed  Optimum adaptation to the given process task by the modular barrel and screw elements  Highly flexible adaptation to different process tasks thanks to the modular design of the processing section.  Long service life of the processing section

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Basics

Fig. 3: Turnkey plant for biodegradable polymer compounding based on a ZSK MEGAcompounder PLUS delivered by Coperion. Photo: Cabopol, S. A., Porto de Mós, Portugal

Compounding however, is not a single simple process. It is rather a large field of processes, according to the range of polymers, formulations, and applications. Steps that are usually carried out in compounding processes for bioplastics are: Plastification of starch, melting of the polymer, mixing with additives, fine dispersion and homogenous distribution of different phases, venting and degassing, pressure build-up, extruding through dies (with or without screen changer, start-up valve, melt pump), cooling of the melt and finally pelletizing [2].

In any case, there is a lot of know-how and experience needed to process bioplastics in order to enhance the properties and not destroy the biopolymers or additives. Most bioplastics for example require a smooth temperature profile, therefore a special arrangement of mixing elements is needed. This, in most cases, is the proprietary kow-how of the compounders [3]. The same applies to the temperature control. Additives themselves also need to resist temperatures, and need to be perfectly dispersed. If this cannot be realized, hardly any effect will be observed [3]. However, there are significant differences in the necessary process parameters (including extruder and screw set-up) for different bioplastics (like PLA, PHA, TPS, PBS etc…). Every bioplastic has a different window for processing, for instance the different melting points or stability have to be considered. But it is possible to handle all of this with a flexible modular co-rotating twin screw extruder [4].

References This article was prepared using the following literature and contributions from industry experts: [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Plastic_compounding [2] Kuehnen, U., Process Engineer for Extrusion of Biodegradable Plastics, Coperion, Germany.

[3] Bonten C., FKuR Kunststoff, Germany [4] Darnedde, L., Development Department, KraussMaffei Berstorff, Germany [5] Martin, C. American Leistritz, USA [6] Steinbrecher, F.; Reifenhäuser, Germany [7] Coperion brochure 7430_CC_CE_092008_engl.pdf

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At the end of a compounding process, the ‘compound‘ - still in a molten stage - has to be cooled and pelletized. For this final process step the melt is extruded through small orifices, cut, and thereby converted into pellet form. The product can be cut and transported either in air or in water. Some biodegradable materials, especially materials rich in starch and polyvinyl alcohol, are sensitive to water, soaking up, getting sticky, being dissolved, therefore any contact has to be avoided. Others are strand pelletized at low throughputs, or cut in an underwater pelletizer, in which the pellet cooling is also achieved under water at larger throughputs.[2] The pellets are then filled in sacks, big-bags or octabins for transporting to their final conversion into bioplastics products. As an alternative it is possible to eliminate the pelletizing step and process the molten compound by direct-extrusion into final products such as film or profiles [6].

Fig. 3 shows as an example a complete compounding line. The upper level of the steel framework is used for raw materials storage, the mezzanine level contains the dosing equipment and the twin screw extruder with its downstream equipment is on the ground level. This line is installed at Cabopol, S.A., Portode-Mós, Portugal [2].

Opinion

The Bio-Based Discussion A contribution to the discussion by Jeremy Tomkinson, CEO, Adrian Higson, Chemicals and Healthcare Manager, and John Williams, Polymers and Materials Manager, NNFCC, York, England

L

ately, methods for determining the renewable content of bio-based materials and products have been the subject of debate. In the May/June issue, Michael Carus put forward a good argument for determining bio-based content by measuring all the renewable components (carbon, oxygen and hydrogen) contained in a material (i.e. mass-based). However, measuring the renewable carbon content (12C to 14C ratio) has been suggested as a more appropriate alternative (i.e. carbon-based).

To determine the best solution we must ask what are we trying to achieve by labelling something as bio-based? Bio-based materials should offer a unique opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, displace fossil fuels and provide sustainable solutions to feedstock procurement. However, it is not clear how best to report these attributes to the consumer.

The argument for using carbon-based labelling is clear. Plants remove CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis, and this biogenic carbon is stored in the bio-based product. Energy can be recovered from the product at its ‘end of life’ as heat or power irrespective of the amount of oxygen and hydrogen.

In this way bio-based products provide a more sustainable option than fossil derived equivalents. This carbon content can be determined by a single physical measurement independent of secondary information, allowing simple regulation of schemes.

However, in certain circumstances promoting biogenic carbon-dense materials may be inappropriate and use energy inefficiently. For example, fossil-based plastics can be substituted with starch or organic acids, like lactic acid. These natural materials contain oxygen and hydrogen which contribute to the product’s energy balance and assist in the biodegradation. Here, the carbon-based approach may show a lower bio-based content than the mass-based approach, but mask a smaller carbon footprint in the production process.

There is obvious value in both measurement methodologies. Carbon-based labelling measures the biogenic carbon contained in a material, which is important in understanding the ‘end of life’ energy recovery. While mass-based labelling provides a more complete measure of fossil fuel displacement.

Our recommendation Ultimately, a life cycle assessment is the most complete way to understand the overall carbon footprint of a material. However, reporting both the biogenic carbon content and mass of bio-based material present will take us a long way towards developing a wide range of sustainable materials.

Table 1. Overview of the pros and cons of using mass- and carbon-based labelling of bio-based materials

Pros

Mass-based

Carbon-based

Oxygen and hydrogen can be important elements in a product’s fossil fuel displacement

Carbon is the most important element in renewable energy production and GHG mitigation at ‘end of life’

Oxygen and hydrogen benefit material Simple single measurement biodegradation Cons

Requires secondary information Does not describe how much carbon has been sequestered

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Could promote resource inefficient products

New Series

Personality

In the last issue, bioplastics MAGAZINE started a new series of ‘Personality Interviews’. We want to introduce well known personalities from the bioplastics industry from a slightly different point of view. We hope to provide some information about these people that our readers most probably have not known before.

Catia Bastioli bM: Dear Mrs. Bastioli, if I may ask, when and where were you born?

CB: In October 1957 in Foligno, close to Perugia in the center of Italy. bM: Where do you live today?

CB: I live in Novara, in the Piedmont Region, Italy. bM: What is your education?

CB: I have a degree in Pure Chemistry from Perugia University and a diploma in Business Administration from Bocconi University in Milan. bM: What is your professional function today CB: In addition of being the CEO of Novamont, I am a Board Member in different public and private institutions dealing with innovation. I also teach Biopolymers as Contract Professor at the University of Eastern Piedmont Amedeo Avogadro. bM: How did you ‘come to’ bioplastics?

CB: In the late Eighties when I was a Project leader of the strategic project ‘Composites’ in Donegani Institute, Corporate Research Center of Montedison. The Company was acquired by Ferruzzi group, a leading agroindustrial player in Europe. The need to create a bridge between agroindustry and chemistry brought the Group to establish a new reseach center completely dedicated to renewable resources. I was asked to deal with the strategic aspects and the creation of an interdisciplinary team on Material Science starting from the renewable materials and biomass available in Ferruzzi. bM: What do you consider more important: ‘biobased‘ or ‘biodegradable‘?

CB: Both are of interest. Biobased is a more general concept, it relates to the origin of a product and to the reduction of fossil carbon; the assessment of the real environmental benefits of a biobased product, however, requires a systemic approach involving life cycle thinking. Biodegradability relates to the end of life scenarios, it is an important property for short life products, for products where recycling is difficult and has low probability to happen or when plastics are contaminated with organic waste such as food residues. bM: What was your biggest achievement (in terms of bioplastics) so far?

CB: I feel the biggest achievement up to now is to have transformed the results of our technical research into an industrial reality, involving a new interaction with the agricultural world and the local areas. The biorefineries dedicated to bioplastics and chemicals integrated into the local areas from my point of view have a great potential with

relevant environmental, economical and social implications. bM: What are your biggest challenges for the future ?

CB: To transform our Company, which evolved from a research center, to a small/medium, up to a significant size reality, into a worldwide player, interconnected with other actors in a fast growing market, without loosing the peculiarity of our initial approach. Meaning to use bioplastics and bio-products as tools to build relevant cases of what I call a system based economy, involving the local areas. My dream is to bring a contribution to the valorisation of the territories with their biodiversity and cultural heritages, in terms of reindustrialization, competitiveness, quality jobs, environmental attention. I mean an industry, able to put human being and its environment in the centre. bM: What is your family status?

CB: I’m not married and I have no children, but I have a fantastic partner. We have been together since the time of university. bM: What is your favourite movie?

CB: I love movies, and my current favourite is Woody Allen’s latest one ‘Whatever works’. I also liked a lot ‘Invictus’ on Nelson Mandela. bM: What is your favourite book?

CB: I read a lot of scientific literature, but I also like books.

Some of my current favourite ones, however, are ‘The periodic System’ of the Jewish-Italian author (and chemist) Primo Levi.

‘One Thousand Splendid Suns’ of Khaled Hosseini and ‘The Same and not the Same’ of the ‘Nobel Prize’ Winner Roald Hoffman, on Chemistry. bM: What is your favourite (or your next) vacation location?

CB: Whenever I can afford to take a few days off, I like to be alone in nature... bM: What do you eat for breakfast on a Sunday?

CB: I like boiled eggs, yoghurt and - if possible - different types of berries. bM: What is your ‘slogan’?

CB: I don’t like slogans. They transform people into ‘supporters’ like in football games reducing their ability to go in depth and to be free. bM: Thank you very much. MT

bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/10] Vol. 5

39

Event Calendar

Event Calendar August 11-13, 2010 International Symposium on Renewable Feedstock for Biofuel and Bio-based Products – The Roles of Fiber Crops: Kenaf, Jute, Hemp, Flax, and Allied Austin, Texas, USA

Oct. 26-28, 2010 4th International Conference on Technology & Application of Biodegradable/Biobased Plastics (ICTABP4) Shang Hai Tongji University (Jiading Campus), Shanghai, China

http://ccgconsultinginc.com/2010sym_general.aspx

www.degradable.org.cn

Sept. 09-10, 2010 8th International Symposium „Raw Materials from Renewable Resources“ Erfurt, Germany

Oct. 27 - Nov. 03, 2010 Visit us at K‘ 2010 - International trade Fair No.1 for Plastics & Rubber Worldwide Booth 7C09, Düsseldorf, Germany

www.narotech.de

Sept. 10-12, 2010 naro.tech 2010 Erfurt, Germany www.narotech.de

Sept. 28-30, 2010 Fachpack 2010 Nuremberg, Germany www.fachpack.de

Oct. 03-07, 2010 International Symposium on Biopolymers ISBP 2010 Haus der Wirtschaft Baaden Württemberg Stuttgart, Germany www.isbp2010.de

Oct. 11-13, 2010 5th Annual Biopolymer Symposium The Westin Tabor Center Denver, Colorado, USA www.biopolymersummit.com

Oct. 13-15, 2010 19th Annual BEPS Meeting POLYMERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel Toronto, Ontario, Canada http://www.beps.org

Oct. 28 - 30, 2010 Bioplastics Business Breakfast (@ K‘2010) Three meetings – succinct and to the point – before the fair doors open details at www.bioplastics-breakfast.com

Nov. 16-17, 2010 The Second China (Shenzen) International Exhibition and Forum of Biological Plastic Great China International Exchange Square Shenzen, China www.szhowell.net

Dec. 1-2, 2010 5th European Bioplastics Conference Hilton Hotel, Düsseldorf, Germany www.conference.european-bioplastics.org

Feb. 01-03, 2011 Bioplastics - Reshaping an Industry Cesar‘s Palace, Las Vegas; USA www.reshapinganindustry.com

April 12 - 13, 2011 4. BioKunststoffe 2011 Hannover www.hanser-tagungen.de

Oct. 18-20, 2010 Sustainable Cosmetics Summit Paris / France

Oct. 17-19, 2011 GPEC 2011 (SPE‘s Global Plastics Environmental Conference) The Atlanta Peachtree Westin Hotel, Atlanta, GA, USA

www.sustainablecosmeticssummit.com

www.4spe.org

Oct. 19-21, 2010 EuropaBio‘s 3rd annual European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology 2010 Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh, Scotland www.efibforum.com

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www.k-online.de

bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/10] Vol. 5

You can meet us!

Please contact us in advance by e-mail.

Erratum ECO - SMART ECO - CERTIFIED ECOWORKS Ž RESIN • CERTIFIED COMPOSTABLE PER ASTM D6400 • RENEWABLE CONTENT (5-70%) • CONTAINS NO POLYETHYLENE

Erroneous picture in issue 03/2010: Cortec Corporation 2010

w w w. C o r t e c V C I . c o m info@CortecVCI.com 1-800-4-CORTEC St. Paul, MN 55110 USA

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he editorial team of bioplastics MAGAZINE sincerely apologizes for an error in Fig. 4 on page 28 of the current issue 03/2010. As the information about the density of cellulose fibre reinforced polyamide is of utmost importance, please have a look at the corrected picture:

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In spring 2011, iBIB2011, the first ever international directory of major suppliers of bio-based plastics and composites, will be published as a means of opening up a range of new customers to companies in the bio-materials sector.

The aim of iBIB2011 is to put industrial suppliers and customers in contact with each other. Two major characteristics of new markets such as bio-based plastics and composites are â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;insider knowledgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and a lack of transparency, which prevent the sector from developing as quickly as it might. The iBIB2011 will help firms to find the best biobased solutions available worldwide. iBIB2011: 250 pages â&#x20AC;˘ 100 companies, associations, R&D â&#x20AC;˘ 20 countries Book your page(s) now at: www.bio-based.de

Contact: Dominik Vogt, Phone: +49 (0)2233 4814 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 49 dominik.vogt@nova-institut.de

Publisher

41 MAGAZINE Vol.Huerth 5 nova-Institut GmbH | Chemiepark Knapsack bioplastics | Industriestrasse 300 [04/10] | D-50354

Basics

Glossary In bioplastics MAGAZINE again and again the same expressions appear that some of our readers might (not yet) be familiar with. This glossary shall help with these terms and shall help avoid repeated explanations such as ‘PLA (Polylactide)‘ in various articles.

Bioplastics (as defined by European Bioplastics e.V.) is a term used to define two different kinds of plastics:

Blend | Mixture of plastics, polymer alloy of at least two microscopically dispersed and molecularly distributed base polymers.

a. Plastics based on renewable resources (the focus is the origin of the raw material used)

Carbon neutral | Carbon neutral describes a process that has a negligible impact on total atmospheric CO2 levels. For example, carbon neutrality means that any CO2 released when a plant decomposes or is burnt is offset by an equal amount of CO2 absorbed by the plant through photosynthesis when it is growing.

b. à Biodegradable and compostable plastics according to EN13432 or similar standards (the focus is the compostability of the final product; biodegradable and compostable plastics can be based on renewable (biobased) and/or non-renewable (fossil) resources).

Bioplastics may be - based on renewable resources and biodegradable; - based on renewable resources but not be biodegradable; and - based on fossil resources and biodegradable.

Amylopectin | Polymeric branched starch molecule with very high molecular weight (biopolymer, monomer is à Glucose). [bM 05/2009 p42]

Amyloseacetat | Linear polymeric glucosechains are called à amylose. If this compound is treated with ethan acid one product is amylacetat. The hydroxyl group is connected with the organic acid fragment.

Amylose | Polymeric non-branched starch molecule with high molecular weight (biopolymer, monomer is à Glucose). [bM 05/2009 p42] Biodegradable Plastics | Biodegradable Plastics are plastics that are completely assimilated by the à microorganisms present a defined environment as food for their energy.

The carbon of the plastic must completely be converted into CO2 during the microbial process. For an official definition, please refer to the standards e.g. ISO or in Europe: EN 14995 Plastics- Evaluation of compostability - Test scheme and specifications. [bM 02/2006 p34, bM 01/2007 p38]]

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bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/10] Vol. 5

Cellophane | Clear film on the basis of à cellulose.

Cellulose | Polymeric molecule with very high molecular weight (biopolymer, monomer is à Glucose), industrial production from wood or cotton, to manufacture paper, plastics and fibres.

Compost | A soil conditioning material of decomposing organic matter which provides nutrients and enhances soil structure. [bM 06/2008, 02/2009]

Compostable Plastics | Plastics that are biodegradable under ‘composting’ conditions: specified humidity, temperature, à microorganisms and timefame. Several national and international standards exist for clearer definitions, for example EN 14995 Plastics - Evaluation of compostability - Test scheme and specifications. [bM 02/2006, bM 01/2007] Composting | A solid waste management technique that uses natural process to convert organic materials to CO2, water and humus through the action of à microorganisms. [bM 03/2007] Copolymer | Plastic composed of different monomers.

Cradle-to-Gate | Describes the system boundaries of an environmental àLife Cycle Assessment (LCA) which covers all activities from the ‘cradle’ (i.e., the extraction of raw materials, agricultural activities and forestry) up to the factory gate

Cradle-to-Cradle | (sometimes abbreviated as C2C): Is an expression which communicates the concept of a closed-cycle economy, in which waste is used as raw material (‘waste equals food’). Cradle-to-Cradle is not a term that is typically used in àLCA studies.

Cradle-to-Grave | Describes the system boundaries of a full àLife Cycle Assessment from manufacture (‘cradle’) to use phase and disposal phase (‘grave’).

Fermentation | Biochemical reactions controlled by à microorganisms or enyzmes (e.g. the transformation of sugar into lactic acid).

Gelatine | Translucent brittle solid substance, colorless or slightly yellow, nearly tasteless and odorless, extracted from the collagen inside animals‘ connective tissue.

Glucose | Monosaccharide (or simple sugar).

G. is the most important carbohydrate (sugar) in biology. G. is formed by photosynthesis or hydrolyse of many carbohydrates e. g. starch.

Humus | In agriculture, ‘humus’ is often used simply to mean mature à compost, or natural compost extracted from a forest or other spontaneous source for use to amend soil.

Hydrophilic | Property: ‘water-friendly’, soluble in water or other polar solvents (e.g. used in conjunction with a plastic which is not waterresistant and weatherproof or that absorbs water such as Polyamide (PA).

Hydrophobic | Property: ‘water-resistant’, not soluble in water (e.g. a plastic which is waterresistant and weatherproof, or that does not absorb any water such as Polethylene (PE) or Polypropylene (PP).

LCA | Life Cycle Assessment (sometimes also referred to as life cycle analysis, ecobalance, and àcradle-to-grave analysis) is the investigation and valuation of the environmental impacts of a given product or service caused. [bM 01/2009]

Basics

Readers who would like to suggest better or other explanations to be added to the list, please contact the editor. [*: bM ... refers to more comprehensive article previously published in bioplastics MAGAZINE)

Microorganism | Living organisms of microscopic size, such as bacteria, funghi or yeast.

PCL | Polycaprolactone, a synthetic (fossil based), biodegradable bioplastic, e.g. used as a blend component.

PHA | Polyhydroxyalkanoates are linear polyesters produced in nature by bacterial fermentation of sugar or lipids. The most common type of PHA is à PHB. PHB | Polyhydroxyl buteric acid (better poly3-hydroxybutyrate), is a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a polymer belonging to the polyesters class. PHB is produced by micro-organisms apparently in response to conditions of physiological stress. The polymer is primarily a product of carbon assimilation (from glucose or starch) and is employed by micro-organisms as a form of energy storage molecule to be metabolized when other common energy sources are not available. PHB has properties similar to those of PP, however it is stiffer and more brittle.

PLA | Polylactide or Polylactic Acid (PLA) is a biodegradable, thermoplastic, aliphatic polyester from lactic acid. Lactic acid is made from dextrose by fermentation. Bacterial fermentation is used to produce lactic acid from corn starch, cane sugar or other sources.

However, lactic acid cannot be directly polymerized to a useful product, because each polymerization reaction generates one molecule of water, the presence of which degrades the forming polymer chain to the point that only very low molecular weights are observed.

Instead, lactic acid is oligomerized and then catalytically dimerized to make the cyclic lactide monomer. Although dimerization also generates water, it can be separated prior to polymerization. PLA of high molecular weight is produced from the lactide monomer by ring-opening polymerization using a catalyst.

This mechanism does not generate additional water, and hence, a wide range of molecular weights are accessible. [bM 01/2009]

Saccharins or carbohydrates | Saccharins or carbohydrates are name for the sugar-family.

Saccharins are monomer or polymer sugar units. For example, there are known mono-, di- and polysaccharose. à glucose is a monosaccarin. They are important for the diet and produced biology in plants.

Sorbitol | Sugar alcohol, obtained by reduction of glucose changing the aldehyde group to an additional hydroxyl group. S. is used as a plasticiser for bioplastics based on starch.

Starch | Natural polymer (carbohydrate) consisting of à amylose and à amylopectin, gained from maize, potatoes, wheat, tapioca etc. When glucose is connected to polymerchains in definite way the result (product) is called starch. Each molecule is based on 300 -12000-glucose units. Depending on the connection, there are two types à amylose and à amylopectin known. [bM 05/2009] Starch (-derivate) | Starch (-derivates) are based on the chemical structure of à starch.

The chemical structure can be changed by introducing new functional groups without changing the à starch polymer. The product has different chemical qualities. Mostly the hydrophilic character is not the same.

Starch-ester | One characteristic of every starch-chain is a free hydroxyl group. When every hydroxyl group is connect with ethan acid one product is starch-ester with different chemical properties.

Starch propionate and starch butyrate | Starch propionate and starch butyrate can be synthesised by treating the à starch with propane or butanic acid. The product structure is still based on à starch. Every based à glucose fragment is connected with a propionate or butyrate ester group. The product is more hydrophobic than à starch.

Sustainable | An attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future.

One of the most often cited definitions of sustainability is the one created by the Brundtland Commission, led by the former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland. The Brundtland Commission defined sustainable development as development that ‘meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’ Sustainability relates to the continuity of economic, social, institutional and environmental aspects of human society, as well as the non-human environment).

Sustainability | (as defined by European Bioplastics e.V.) has three dimensions: economic, social and environmental. This has been known as “the triple bottom line of sustainability”. This means that sustainable development involves the simultaneous pursuit of economic prosperity, environmental protection and social equity. In other words, businesses have to expand their responsibility to include these environmental and social dimensions. Sustainability is about making products useful to markets and, at the same time, having societal benefits and lower environmental impact than the alternatives currently available. It also implies a commitment to continuous improvement that should result in a further reduction of the environmental footprint of today’s products, processes and raw materials used.

Thermoplastics | Plastics which soften or melt when heated and solidify when cooled (solid at room temperature).

Yard Waste | Grass clippings, leaves, trimmings, garden residue.

bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/10] Vol. 5

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Suppliers Guide 1. Raw Materials

1.3 PLA

4. Bioplastics products

10

20

30

40

50

60

BASF SE Global Business Management Biodegradable Polymers Carl-Bosch-Str. 38 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany Tel. +49-621 60 43 878 Fax +49-621 60 21 694 plas.com@basf.com www.ecovio.com www.basf.com/ecoflex 1.1 bio based monomers

70

80

90

100

PURAC division Arkelsedijk 46, P.O. Box 21 4200 AA Gorinchem The Netherlands Tel.: +31 (0)183 695 695 Fax: +31 (0)183 695 604 www.purac.com PLA@purac.com 1.2 compounds

110

Shenzhen Brightchina Ind. Co;Ltd www.brightcn.net www.esun.en.alibaba.com bright@brightcn.net Tel: +86-755-2603 1978 1.4 starch-based bioplastics

2. Additives / Secondary raw materials

Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients ZAC „Les Portes de Riom“ - BP 173 63204 Riom Cedex - France Tel. +33 (0)4 73 67 17 00 Fax +33 (0)4 73 67 17 10 www.biolice.com

140

Cereplast Inc. Tel: +1 310-676-5000 / Fax: -5003 pravera@cereplast.com www.cereplast.com European distributor A.Schulman : Tel +49 (2273) 561 236 christophe_cario@de.aschulman.com

150

160

Grace Biotech Corporation Tel: +886-3-598-6496 No. 91, Guangfu N. Rd., Hsinchu Industrial Park,Hukou Township, Hsinchu County 30351, Taiwan sales@grace-bio.com.tw www.grace-bio.com.tw

Plantic Technologies Limited 51 Burns Road Altona VIC 3018 Australia Tel. +61 3 9353 7900 Fax +61 3 9353 7901 info@plantic.com.au www.plantic.com.au

170

180

190

FKuR Kunststoff GmbH Siemensring 79 D - 47 877 Willich Tel. +49 2154 9251-0 Tel.: +49 2154 9251-51 sales@fkur.com www.fkur.com

220

230

Natur-Tec® - Northern Technologies 4201 Woodland Road Circle Pines, MN 55014 USA Tel. +1 763.225.6600 Fax +1 763.225.6645 info@natur-tec.com www.natur-tec.com

Huhtamaki Forchheim Herr Manfred Huberth Zweibrückenstraße 15-25 91301 Forchheim Tel. +49-9191 81305 Fax +49-9191 81244 Mobil +49-171 2439574

www.earthfirstpla.com www.sidaplax.com www.plasticsuppliers.com Sidaplax UK : +44 (1) 604 76 66 99 Sidaplax Belgium: +32 9 210 80 10 Plastic Suppliers: +1 866 378 4178

1.5 PHA

Division of A&O FilmPAC Ltd 7 Osier Way, Warrington Road GB-Olney/Bucks.

MK46 5FP Tel.: +44 1234 714 477 Fax: +44 1234 713 221 sales@aandofilmpac.com www.bioresins.eu

Taghleef Industries SpA, Italy Via E. Fermi, 46 33058 San Giorgio di Nogaro (UD) Contact Frank Ernst Tel. +49 2402 7096989 Mobile +49 160 4756573 frank.ernst@ti-films.com www.ti-films.com 3.1.1 cellulose based films

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Transmare Compounding B.V. Ringweg 7, 6045 JL Roermond, The Netherlands Tel. +31 475 345 900 Fax +31 475 345 910 info@transmare.nl www.compounding.nl

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Arkhe Will Co., Ltd. 19-1-5 Imaichi-cho, Fukui 918-8152 Fukui, Japan Tel. +81-776 38 46 11 Fax +81-776 38 46 17 contactus@ecogooz.com www.ecogooz.com

3.1 films

PSM Bioplastic NA Chicago, USA www.psmna.com +1-630-393-0012

200

210

Sukano AG Chaltenbodenstrasse 23 CH-8834 Schindellegi Tel. +41 44 787 57 77 Fax +41 44 787 57 78 www.sukano.com

alesco GmbH & Co. KG Schönthaler Str. 55-59 D-52379 Langerwehe Sales Germany: +49 2423 402 110 Sales Belgium: +32 9 2260 165 Sales Netherlands: +31 20 5037 710 info@alesco.net | www.alesco.net

3. Semi finished products

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Tianan Biologic No. 68 Dagang 6th Rd, Beilun, Ningbo, China, 315800 Tel. +86-57 48 68 62 50 2 Fax +86-57 48 68 77 98 0 enquiry@tianan-enmat.com www.tianan-enmat.com

INNOVIA FILMS LTD Wigton Cumbria CA7 9BG Telles, Metabolix – ADM joint venture England 650 Suffolk Street, Suite 100 Contact: Andy Sweetman Lowell, MA 01854 USA Tel. +44 16973 41549 Tel. +1-97 85 13 18 00 Fax +44 16973 41452 Fax +1-97 85 13 18 86 andy.sweetman@innoviafilms.com www.mirelplastics.com www.innoviafilms.com

Postbus 26 7480 AA Haaksbergen The Netherlands Tel.: +31 616 121 843 info@bio4pack.com www.bio4pack.com

Cortec® Corporation 4119 White Bear Parkway St. Paul, MN 55110 Tel. +1 800.426.7832 Fax 651-429-1122 info@cortecvci.com www.cortecvci.com Eco Cortec® 31 300 Beli Manastir Bele Bartoka 29 Croatia, MB: 1891782 Tel. +385 31 7005 011 Fax +385 31 705 012 info@ecocortec.hr www.ecocortec.hr

Minima Technology Co., Ltd. Esmy Huang, Marketing Manager No.33. Yichang E. Rd., Taipin City, Taichung County 411, Taiwan (R.O.C.) Tel. +886(4)2277 6888 Fax +883(4)2277 6989 Mobil +886(0)982-829988 esmy325@ms51.hinet.net Skype esmy325 www.minima-tech.com

Suppliers Guide Simply contact:

Tel.: +49 02351 67100-0

Pland Paper® WEI MON INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 2F, No.57, Singjhong Rd., Neihu District, Taipei City 114, Taiwan, R.O.C. Tel. + 886 - 2 - 27953131 Fax + 886 - 2 - 27919966 sales@weimon.com.tw www.plandpaper.com

6.2 Laboratory Equipment

MODA : Biodegradability Analyzer Saida FDS Incorporated 3-6-6 Sakae-cho, Yaizu, Shizuoka, Japan Tel : +81-90-6803-4041 info@saidagroup.jp www.saidagroup.jp 7. Plant engineering

suppguide@bioplasticsmagazine.com

European Bioplastics e.V. Marienstr. 19/20 10117 Berlin, Germany Tel. +49 30 284 82 350 Fax +49 30 284 84 359 info@european-bioplastics.org www.european-bioplastics.org

Stay permanently listed in the Suppliers Guide with your company logo and contact information.

For only 6,– EUR per mm, per issue you can be present among top suppliers in the field of bioplastics.

10.2 Universities

For Example:

Michigan State University Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science Professor Ramani Narayan East Lansing MI 48824, USA Tel. +1 517 719 7163 narayan@msu.edu

Polymedia Publisher GmbH Dammer Str. 112 41066 Mönchengladbach Germany Tel. +49 2161 664864 Fax +49 2161 631045 info@bioplasticsmagazine.com www.bioplasticsmagazine.com

10 35 mm

NOVAMONT S.p.A. Via Fauser , 8 28100 Novara - ITALIA Fax +39.0321.699.601 Tel. +39.0321.699.611 Info@novamont.com

MANN+HUMMEL ProTec GmbH Stubenwald-Allee 9 64625 Bensheim, Deutschland Tel. +49 6251 77061 0 Fax +49 6251 77061 510 info@mh-protec.com www.mh-protec.com

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30 35

Sample Charge: President Packaging Ind., Corp.

PLA Paper Hot Cup manufacture In Taiwan, www.ppi.com.tw Tel.: +886-6-570-4066 ext.5531 Fax: +886-6-570-4077 sales@ppi.com.tw 4.1 trays 5. Traders

Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH Holzhauser Str. 157 - 159 13509 Berlin Germany Tel. +49 (0)30 43567 5 Fax +49 (0)30 43567 699 sales.de@thyssenkrupp.com www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com 8. Ancillary equipment

Molds, Change Parts and Turnkey Solutions for the PET/Bioplastic Container Industry 284 Pinebush Road Cambridge Ontario Canada N1T 1Z6 Tel. +1 519 624 9720 Fax +1 519 624 9721 info@hallink.com www.hallink.com

Siemensring 79 47877 Willich, Germany Tel.: +49 2154 9251-0 , Fax: -51 carmen.michels@umsicht.fhg.de www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de

6 issues x 210,00 EUR = 1,260.00 € The entry in our Suppliers Guide is bookable for one year (6 issues) and extends automatically if it’s not canceled three month before expiry.

c i t e n tics g s a a l P M for

Bioplastics Consulting Tel. +49 2161 664864 info@polymediaconsult.com www.polymediaconsult.com

• International Trade in Raw Materials, Machinery & Products Free of Charge • Daily News from the Industrial Sector and the Plastics Markets

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M

Wirkstoffgruppe Imageproduktion Y Tel. +49 2351 67100-0 luedenscheid@wirkstoffgruppe.de CM www.wirkstoffgruppe.de 10. Institutions

• Current Market Prices for Plastics.

• Buyer’s Guide for Plastics & Additives, Machinery & Equipment, Subcontractors and Services.

MY

CY

10.1 Associations

CMY

K

Roll-o-Matic A/S Petersmindevej 23 5000 Odense C, Denmark Tel. + 45 66 11 16 18 Fax + 45 66 14 32 78 rom@roll-o-matic.com www.roll-o-matic.com

Sample Charge for one year:

magnetic_148,5x105.ai 175.00 lpi 45.00° 15.00° 14.03.2009 75.00° 0.00° 14.03.2009 10:13:31 10:13:31 Prozess CyanProzess MagentaProzess GelbProzess Schwarz

6. Equipment

FAS Converting Machinery AB O Zinkgatan 1/ Box 1503 27100 Ystad, Sweden Tel.: +46 411 69260 www.fasconverting.com

35mm x 6,00 € = 210,00 € per entry/per issue

9. Services

5.1 wholesale

6.1 Machinery & Molds

University of Applied Sciences Faculty II, Department of Bioprocess Engineering Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans-Josef Endres Heisterbergallee 12 30453 Hannover, Germany Tel. +49 (0)511-9296-2212 Fax +49 (0)511-9296-2210 hans-josef.endres@fh-hannover.de www.fakultaet2.fh-hannover.de

er.com lastick www.p

BPI - The Biodegradable Products Institute 331 West 57th Street, Suite 415 New York, NY 10019, USA Tel. +1-888-274-5646 info@bpiworld.org

• Job Market for Specialists and Executive Staff in the Plastics Industry

sional Profes Fast • • te a d Up-to-

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45

Companies in this issue Company

Editorial

A&O Filmpac Albus Golf Alesco Arkema Arkhe Will Artec BASF BIO4PACK BioCor Bioplastics 24 BioPro Bormioli Rocco BPI Cabopol Cereplast Clariant Coca-Cola Coperion Cortec Cosmetic Specialties Intl.

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For the next issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE (among others) the following subjects are scheduled:

Publ.-Date

Editorial Focus (1)

Editorial Focus (2)

Basics

Fair Specials

Sep / Oct

Oct. 04, 2010

Fibre Applications

Polyurethanes / Elastomers

Polyolefins

K‘2010 Preview

Nov / Dec

Dec. 06, 2010

Films / Flexibles / Bags

Consumer Electronics

Recycling

K‘2010 Review

bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/10] Vol. 5

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Month

New: 46

Advert 44

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A real sign of sustainable development.

There is such a thing as genuinely sustainable development.

Since 1989, Novamont researchers have been working on an ambitious project that combines the chemical industry, agriculture and the environment: "Living Chemistry for Quality of Life". Its objective has been to create products with a low environmental impact. The result of Novamont's innovative research is the new bioplastic Mater-Bi 速.

Mater-Bi 速 is a family of materials, completely biodegradable and compostable which contain renewable raw materials such as starch and vegetable oil derivates. Mater-Bi 速 performs like traditional plastics but it saves energy, contributes to reducing the greenhouse effect and at the end of its life cycle, it closes the loop by changing into fertile humus. Everyone's dream has become a reality.

Mater-Bi速: certified biodegradable and compostable.

Living Chemistry for Quality of Life. www.novamont.com

Inventor of the year 2007