bioplastics MAGAZINE 06-2012 by bioplastics MAGAZINE

06 | 2012

Basics Blown Film Extrusion | 44

bioplastics

magazine

Vol. 7

ISSN 1862-5258

November/December

Highlights Electronics | 35 Films, flexibles, bags | 16 9 countries

... is read in 8

Champagne Cooler made from Biograde ÂŽ C 6509 CL. Sparkling wine kindly provided by RotkĂ¤ppchen-Mumm Sektkellereien GmbH.

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

www.fkur.com

For further information, contact your local partner: North America: sales.usa@fkur.com UK & Ireland: UK@fkur.com Italy: Italy@fkur.com France: France@fkur.com Scandinavia: Scan@fkur.com Israel: Israel@fkur.com

Editorial

dear readers Again we saw a late summer and autumn with a lot of events. Besides innovations in materials, applications or end-of-life solutions, legal issues such as a ban on plastic shopping bags, waste directives or the TFC green guides, were much-discussed topics at most of these conferences and symposiums. Among other things we report about both the innovations and the legal discussions in this, our last issue of 2012. The year’s end and the holidays are approaching fast. So maybe our cover-girl is a good inspiration for presents made of bioplastics. While dolls of this kind were among the pioneering applications for the first ‘bioplastics’ such as celluloid in the early part of last century, it is good to see that such applications are now starting to appear made of modern bioplastics. Toys were also well represented among the finalists of the 7th Bioplastics Award. So for one of our future issues we might want to have an editorial focus on bioplastic toys. If you are producing toys or are in any other way involved in toys made of bioplastics, please let us know. The winners of the Bioplastics Award 2012, however - and this year we had two - are both from the automotive business… See page 12 for details. A number of articles about new materials, applications, events and politics are accompanied by further highlights. In several articles we report about films, flexibles and bags, and we present some articles about applications in the electronics sector. We wish all our readers at least some relaxing time over the holidays before we start another exciting year, with lots of innovations, new applications and events. For Chinaplas we are planning a joint booth - contact us if you are interested in participating. And for K’2013 we are already preparing our B³ - Bioplastics Business Breakfast …

www.twitter.com/bioplasticsmag

Be our friend on Facebook!

www.facebook.com/bioplasticsmagazine

Until then, we hope you enjoy reading bioplastics MAGAZINE

Sincerely yours Michael Thielen

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Photo: Philipp Thielen

Cover

A part of this print run is mailed to the readers wrapped in BoPLA envelopes sponsored by Taghleef Industries, S.p.A. Maropack GmbH & Co. KG, and SFV Verpackungen

Envelopes

Editorial contributions are always welcome. Please contact the editorial office via mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com.

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

November/December

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.

06|2012

Not to be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.

Companies in this issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

bioplastics MAGAZINE is read in 89 countries.

Suppliers Guide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 - 52

bioplastics MAGAZINE is printed on chlorine-free FSC certified paper.

ISSN 1862-5258 bM is published 6 times a year. This publication is sent to qualified subscribers (149 Euro for 6 issues).

bioplastics magazine

Tรถlkes Druck + Medien GmbH 47807 Krefeld, Germany Print run: 3,600 copies

Elke Hoffmann, Caroline Motyka phone: +49(0)2161-6884467 fax: +49(0)2161 6884468 eh@bioplasticsmagazine.com

Media Adviser

Polymedia Publisher GmbH Dammer Str. 112 41066 Mรถnchengladbach, Germany phone: +49 (0)2161 6884469 fax: +49 (0)2161 6884468 info@bioplasticsmagazine.com www.bioplasticsmagazine.com

Head Office

Julia Hunold, Christos Stavrou Mark Speckenbach

Layout/Production

Dr. Michael Thielen (MT) Samuel Brangenberg (SB) contributing editor: Dr. Thomas Isenburg (TI)

Publisher / Editorial

Imprint Content

Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 05 - 07

Application News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 - 34

Event Calendar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Events 08 Biopolymers Symposium 2012

10 7th European Bioplastics Conference

11 Conference on CO2 as feedstock

Bioplastics Award 12 Automotive wins Bioplastics Award 2012

Market 14 Fivefold growth by 2016

Films | Flexibles | Bags 16 Plastic Bags in California

18 Green films in all colours

26 High barrier PLA films

Materials

22 Turning biomass into bioplastics and carbon fibers

28 Waste cooking oil makes bioplastics cheaper

30 Renewable naphtha for producing bioplastics

Electronics

35 Electronic housings made from cellulosic bioplastic

36 Bioplastics for IT-applications

Politics

38 FTC Green Guides for BioPlastics

42 Compostable Bioplastics Packaging in Germany

Basics

44 Blown film extrusion

Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/bioplastics-MAGAZINE/103745406344904

News

PolyOne launches 99% bio-based plasticizer In early November, PolyOne Corporation introduced reFlex™ 300 bioplasticizer. Derived from rapidly renewable feedstocks and certified to contain 99% bio-based content, this non-phthalate alternative provides a one-for-one replacement for general-purpose plasticizers used in flexible vinyl formulations.

Healthcare – tubing and connectors

PolyOne reFlex 300 bioplasticizer can help customers reduce their carbon footprint and eliminate phthalates without compromising in-service performance. Further, this new technology assists manufacturers and brand owners in satisfying the requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), which bans certain phthalates in products used by children.

PolyOne reFlex 300 bioplasticizer is the second technology to be commercialized as a result of a development alliance between PolyOne and Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM). In April of this year, PolyOne introduced fast-fusing reFlex™100 bioplasticizer.

Electrical components – plugs and insulators Building and construction products – weather stripping, gaskets, office furniture, and flooring Consumer goods – toys and shoes

www.polyone.com

Certified to be 99% bio-based (ASTM D6866), reFlex 300 bioplasticizer can enable users to explore certification of their own products to this standard, potentially resulting in preferential procurement status with the United States Federal Government in the USDA BioPreferered® program. Flexible vinyl markets and applications that can benefit from reFlex 300 bioplasticizer include:

The business directory iBIB as iPad App The new International Business Directory for Innovative Bio-based Plastics and Composites (iBIB2012/2013), co-published by nova-institute (Huerth/Germany) and bioplastics MAGAZINE is the most successful ever: Six month after its publication date the directory experienced more than 15,000 downloads of single company profiles and over 2,000 downloads of the complete directory - in addition to mailings (to 34,000 customers) and distribution at fairs and exhibitions of the printed version (4,000).

The iBIB 2012/2013 can be downloaded from www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/ iBIB2012-2013.pdf

The iBIB online database is accessible via

Jahreskalender von Kindern mit

Behinderung

Jetzt kostenlos reservieren: Tel. 06294 428170 E-Mail: kalender@bsk-ev.org www.bsk-ev.org

Info:

Now the unique and informative directory can also be used offline on any iPad - for free! To get the app, visit: www.bio-based.eu/iBIB/app

App

www.bio-based.eu/iBIB

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

News

BIOTEC with new sole shareholder

The Biopolymer Network

On Monday, October 1st, 2012 the SPHERE group purchased all shares in the BIOTEC Holding GmbH (Emmerich am Rhein, Germany), that were previously owned by Biome Technologies plc.

The Biopolymer Network at the Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR), an emerging initiative set up in Germany by the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV), just recently launched its German language website. Focusing on current topics and issues of using bio-based materials and their products the network addresses a broad array of stakeholders, initiates discussions and develops important background information.

BIOTEC, specialized in the research, development and production of materials derived from renewable, recyclable and fully biodegradable materials, holds more than 200 patents worldwide a in the sector of bioplastics. BIOTEC will supply its products and services directly its customers. Therefore changes in the management team, research functions and commercialization network will be implemented in view to underline its total independence from the Sphere Group. lt is planned that new technological breakthroughs will be patented shortly, completed by new investments in the technical lab. With an annual capacity of more than 20.000 tons BIOTEC has achieved in 2011 a turnover of 30.1 million EURO (+ 40.6 % compared to previous year) only in Europe. The bioplastic market worldwide shows high growth. As a consequence it is planned that BIOTEC will review its bioplastic market opportunities worldwide. MT www.biotec.de

res

g on

f-K tof

s erk

6 w

io .B

th Int.

www.bio-based.eu/conference

Conference 2013

on Industrial Biotechnology and Bio-based Plastics & Composites April 10 – 12 2013, Maternushaus, Cologne, Germany

Highlights from the world wide leading countries in bio-based economy: USA & Germany n: 15% riptio er 2012 c s b u cemb bird s Early until 15 De unt disco

The Biopolymer Network is an information and communication platform in the field of bio-based materials and their applications, open to industry, research, academia, politics and the civil society. It is a forum for a critical and positive debate about all parts of the life cycle process as well as about economical, ecological and social questions. Renewable resources can contribute to the substitution/ replacement of fossil resources and to the security of supply. Regarding this, the BMELV has funded about 300 projects in the fields of manufacturing, processing, and application of bio-based materials in Germany in the recent years. However, those innovative products meet a market with established value chains and fixed basic conditions where they have to fit in. This is where the Biopolymer Network starts working by supporting the application of bio-based materials in a reasonable and sustainable way. Current key aspects are ‘Processing of bio-based materials’, ‘Recycling & Disposal’, ‘Life cycle assessment of bio-based materials and products’ as well as ‘Application of bio-based materials in the automotive industry’. The network gets support by an advisory board made up of representatives from the industry, research and politics. Several national expert meetings have already been taken place, and on-going funded projects have been embedded in the Biopolymer Network’s activities. Results and activities are published e.g. via the website, newsletters, prints and other means. Furthermore, the Network invites stakeholders along the value chains of biobased materials to participate in the discussion and share common information. www.biopolymernetzwerk.de

Pictures: Ashland, BioAmber, Evonik, FKUR, Hiendl, Polyone

Organiser

www.biotec.de bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

www.nova-institute.eu

Sponsor of the Conference

Sponsor Innovation Award

www.coperion.com

News

World’s largest PHA production facility

JV for biobased succinic acid

Meredian, Inc., a privately held biopolymer manufacturer from Bainbridge, Georgia, USA, officially opened its polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) biopolymers plant end of October. During a Grand Opening Meredian’s guests got the chance to view the largest PHA production facility in the world. Following the successful startup of this initial production facility with current production rate of 15,000 tonnes per year, Meredian plans to continue to grow its output in an effort to maintain pace with global customer demand. The manufacturing facility will be producing over 300,000 tonnes of PHA per year when at full capacity, as was mentioned during the Grand opening.

BASF and Purac, a subsidiary of CSM, are establishing a joint venture for the production and sale of biobased succinic acid. The company will be named Succinity GmbH and will be operational in 2013. The establishment of Succinity GmbH is subject to filing with the relevant competition authorities. The company headquarters will be in Düsseldorf, Germany.

“Meredian PHA provides value to our customers by way of its many attributes and performance capabilities. Additionally, we can compete with traditional petro-based plastics on price, based upon our cost effective production systems,” says Blake Lindsey, President and Co-founder of Meredian. “Our PHA resins will be made using a technology Meredian acquired from P&G in 2007. We have spent the last three years confirming production systems and efficiencies while jointly developing specific end-use applications with our strategic customer partners.” Meredian PHA expects food contact OK status for its PHA products and is fully certified by leading third party firms for meeting strict ASTM biodegradation requirements including marine water conditions. Meredian supports its technology with a global patent portfolio of over 150 patents for this innovative, highly functional biopolymer plastic material. “The Meredian fermentation process utilizes sustainably produced renewable plant derived feedstocks to create PHA,” added Lindsey. “The production of PHA is not only safe for the environment, but we are producing a product that will address many of the health and human safety concerns found in certain packaging materials today.” MT www.meredianpha.com

BASF and CSM have been conducting research on succinic acid under a joint development agreement since 2009. The complementary strengths in fermentation and downstream processing led to the development of a sustainable and highly efficient manufacturing process based on a proprietary microorganism. The bacterium used is Basfia succiniciproducens, which produces succinic acid through natural processes. It is capable of metabolizing a variety of renewable feedstocks into succinic acid. The new process combines high efficiency with the use of renewable raw materials and the fixation of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) in the production of succinic acid. This makes biobased succinic acid an economically and ecologically attractive alternative to petrochemical raw materials. The demand for succinic acid is anticipated to grow strongly in the years ahead, driven mainly by bioplastics, chemical intermediates, solvents, polyurethanes and plasticizers. BASF and CSM are currently modifying an existing fermentation facility at Purac’s Montmélo site near Barcelona, Spain, for the production of succinic acid. This plant, which will commence operations in late 2013 with an annual capacity of 10,000 tonnes of succinic acid, will put the new joint venture company in a leading position in the global marketplace. This is complemented by plans for a second large-scale facility with an annual capacity of 50,000 tonnes of succinic acid to enable the company to respond to the expected increase in demand. The final investment decision for this facility will be made following a successful market introduction. MT www.basf.com www.csmglobal.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Events

Biopolymers Symposium 2012 The Biopolymers Symposium 2012 by Smithers-Rapra was held on 16-17 October in San Antonio, Texas, USA. The day before the conference, the delegates had the chance to participate in a special ‘anaerobic digestion forum’. This new half day event explored the role that AD could play including policy initiatives, feedstock supply etc. The forum was held by key stakeholders and US government adopters. The symposium itself saw more than 100 delegates from (mostly) the Americas but also some visitors from Europe and Asia. Professor Ramani Narayan chaired the first session about the ‘state of the bioplastics business’ supported by speakers from companies such as Goodyear, Ford and Nike. The ‘sustainable feedstock’ session covered topics such as forest products and agricultural waste, brazilian sugar cane and more. During the first day’s luncheon Rick Eno informed the audience that Metabolix is back with their Mirel PHA biopolymers. This was followed by a public policy session that focused on the role of various policy mechanisms – legislation, regulations, standards and others. In the next session presentations were given on how new technology push & pull can be combined in efficient partnering. It turned out that innovators, producers, recyclers and users should

cooperate. The first day was closed by some interesting insights about opportunities and challenges that were shared by start-up companies in the bioplastics arena. The second day was about innovative management strategies for End of Life, new innovations in performance and technology as well as some sustainability insight from Europe. The conference was rounded off by an interactive panel discussion on labelling and certification. MT

organized by

17. - 19.10.2013

Bioplastics in Packaging

Messe Düsseldorf, Germany

Bioplastics Business Breakfast

Call for Papers now open www.bioplastics-breakfast.com 8

Contact: Dr. Michael Thielen (info@bioplastics-magazine.com)

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

PLA, an Innovative Bioplastic Injection Moulding of Bioplastics Subject to changes

At the World’s biggest trade show on plastics and rubber: K’2013 in Düsseldorf bioplastics will certainly play an important role again. On three days during the show from Oct 17 - 19, 2013 (!) biopolastics MAGAZINE will host a Bioplastics Business Breakfast: From 8 am to 12 noon the delegates get the chance to listen and discuss highclass presentations and benefit from a unique networking opportunity. The trade fair opens at 10 am.

Events

he significance of bioplastics as a central component of the European bioeconomy strategy is undisputed. This was the core message of the plenary talks by Alfredo Aguilar Romanillos, European Commission, Clemens Neumann, Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection Germany, and John Williams, NNFCC, during the 7th European Bioplastics Conference on 6 and 7 November in Berlin.

Bioplastics still on the rise 7th European Bioplastics Conference demonstrates the future potential of the industry

(Photos: European Bioplastics)

Numerous questions connected to the growth of the bioplastics industry were discussed during the 7th European Bioplastics Conference – such as: How is the growing supply of bioplastics affecting public awareness? Which market segments will grow in particular and what impacts will this growth have? What are the potential side-effects of adding bioplastics to existing recycling streams? In particular the latter was a hot topic at the conference. “Give us a sufficient amount of any plastic – be it PLA or any other bioplastic – and we can sort it and recycle it”. This was the main message of the recycling industry to the bioplastics industry during a podium discussion moderated by Thomas Probst of the Federal Association of Secondary Raw Materials and Disposal (BVSE). The ‘7th Annual Global Bioplastics Award’ ceremony by bioplastics MAGAZINE was another highlight of this year’s conference. 2012, saw two winners take the award (see page 12). European Bioplastics addressed the significant topic of ‘environmental communication for bioplastics’ in a half-day workshop the day prior to the conference (5 November). Representatives of the bioplastics industry, the communications industry, and experts of environmental initiatives as well as public institutions discussed various cases concerning the essential issue, “Where does greenwashing start?”. “The workshop discussion reflected a very open atmosphere and we are pleased that we were able to welcome a diverse range of participants – amongst them representatives of Deutsche Umwelthilfe (German Environment Aid DHU) and Greenpeace,“ said Andy Sweetman, Chairman of European Bioplastics. “Regular exchanges on important topics such as environmental communication are essential, particularly in the case of a vibrant growth area such as the bioplastics industry“. European Bioplastics intends to continue its promotion of best practice communication in the area of bioplastics with a series of workshops during the next year. Now in its seventh year, the European Bioplastics Conference, with around 400 participants and 240 companies from around the world, has once again shown itself to be the leading information platform globally. Participants this year came from the following regions: approx. 85% of participants came from Europe, 10% visited from Asia, and the majority of the remaining 5% came from North and South America. www.european-bioplastics.org

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Events

Conference on CO2 as feedstock

he use of carbon dioxide to produce chemical materials of various types using biotechnical processes is at present being actively researched and further developed, and the potential end products even include plastics (cf. bM 05/2012).

Furthermore some of such products can be biodegradable, which opens up new avenues for biopolymers (cf. bM 05/2012). Together with Siemens, the Technical University of Munich and the University of Hamburg, BASF are developing blends with up to 70% PLA.

Alongside this chemists would like to convert CO2 gas, using catalysts, into important basic raw materials such as formic acid, polycarbonates and polyurethanes.

The raw materials manufacturer DSM produces, in a related way, poly(ester-co-carbonate). The starting materials here are acid anhydrides, epoxides and CO2. The chemicals company uses chromium catalyst systems and works in close association with the Technical University of Eindhoven.

The central idea here is to use CO2 as a source of carbon. However this raw material is very low in energy and has a very slow reaction time. A chemical device to overcome this is the use of a catalyst, since these speed up the reaction time significantly when converting the gas in other substances and reduce the activation energy required for the conversion. Additionally the reactive epoxides are available as partners in the reaction, The nova-institute organised, on October 10th and 11th in Essen, Germany, the ‘1st Conference on CO2 as Feedstock’. In total 180 participants from 22 countries responded to the invitation. Among others Bayer, BASF and DSM, as well as Novomer of the USA, spoke on the development of polymers. Within the framework of the ‘Dream Productions’ project at Bayer Material Science besides petroleum, biomass, carbon and natural gas, carbon dioxide is being introduced as a source of raw material. There is in fact already a pilot plant in existence for the production of CO2-based polyurethanes. Bayer is working here very closely with the Technical University of Aachen in Germany (RWTH) and with the energy supplier RWE AG. The energy company can supply CO2 from their coal-fired power plants.

Already well into the market in the USA is the company Novomer with ‘High Performance CO2-based Polyols’. Here too they are deeply involved with the development of catalysts for the manufacture of polypropylene carbonates. The company has already produced for some time polymers with CO2 as a raw material. The conference event was rounded off with the presentation of an ’Innovation Award’. The first prize went to Dr. Sean Simpson from New Zealand for his work in the field of biotechnology and the innovative production of ethanol, alongside other chemicals, in a simply built reactor. Here genetically modified bacteria are used. The other prizewinners, plus more details on the projects and the conference, can be found at www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/201206 - TI www.nova-institut.de

Info: www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/201206

At the beginning of 2012 BASF finished a project for the use of ‘CO2 as a basic input material for polymers’, in which the availability and low cost of the CO2 played an important part. The polymers can contain up to 43% of CO2 so that it is possible to partially forgo the use of crude oil as a raw material.

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Bioplastics Award

Automotive wins Bioplastics Award 2012 This year the prestigious Bioplastics Award was given to two winners, both from the automotive sector.

he 7th Bioplastics Award, proudly presented by bioplastics MAGAZINE for the 3rd time now, went to TAKATA AG and IfBB - Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites. The awards were given to the winners on November 6th during the 7th European Bioplastics Conference in Berlin. The annual Bioplastics Award was established in 2006 by the English trade publication European Plastics News. It recognizes innovation, success and achievements by companies and institutions in the field of bioplastic materials.

Five judges from the academic world, the press and industry associations from America, Europa and Asia have chosen the two winners in a head-on-head race. For the judges it was significant that both automotive related developments in an exciting way show the huge potential that bio-based plastics offer. With the need for lightweighting and the goal of reducing the fossil energy consumption and thus global warming, these projects are very good approaches that can lead the way. Both projects show the versatility that biobased plastics, with or without natural fibre reinforcement can offer today and in future.

left to right: Dr. Michael Thielen (bioplastics MAGAZINE), Udo Gaumann (TAKATA), Prof. Hans-Josef Endres (IfBB Hannover) (Photo: European Bioplastics)

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Bioplastics Award

TAKATA AG: Bioplastic steering wheel and airbag showcase project Takata presented a ‘showcase’ of a complete real steering wheel system. Here TAKATA elaborated the possibilities and limits of using biobased plastics in such sensitive products like airbags and steering wheels. Available biopolymers were benchmarked according the requirements and converted in to real components which were then tested according the specifications of the automotive industry to verify the material limits in steering wheels and airbags. With this project Takata illustrates their competence to develop biobased steering wheels and airbags and support their customers to define the technical limits of biopolymers.

IfBB - Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites: Biobased tailgate of a racing car The biobased tailgate of the ‘Bioconcept’-racing car of the race team Four Motors is part of a joint project (supported by BMELV/FNR) to convert as many automotive parts into biobased plastic parts as possible. The tailgate, which is being produced from linen (flax fibres) and an epoxy resin made from renewable resources. The amount of biobased components in the resin is currently at 30 - 35% (together with the fibres about 65%). IfBB also evaluates series production methods such as injection moulding of thermoplastic natural fiber reinforced biocomposites for the mass production of such parts.

In issue 01/2013 bioplastics MAGAZINE will publish comprehensive articles about both award winning projects.

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Market

Fivefold growth by 2016

n above-average positive development in bioplastics production capacity has made past projections obsolete. The market of around 1.2 million tonnes in 2011 will see a fivefold increase in production volumes by 2016 – to an anticipated almost 6 million tonnes. This is the result of the current market forecast, which the industry association European Bioplastics published in mid October in cooperation with the IfBB Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites from the University of Hannover.

contributors to this growth will be PLA and PHA, each of them accounting for 298,000 tonnes (+60 %) and 142,000 tonnes (+700 %) respectively.

The worldwide production capacity for bioplastics will increase from around 1.2 million tonnes in 2011 to approximately 5.8 million tonnes by 2016. By far the strongest growth will be in the biobased, non-biodegradable bioplastics group. Especially the so-called ‘drop-in’ solutions, i.e. biobased versions of bulk plastics like PE and PET, that merely differ from their conventional counterparts in terms of their renewable raw material base, are building up large capacities. Leading the field is partially biobased PET, which is already accounting for approximately 40 % of the global bioplastics production capacity. Partially biobased PET will continue to extend this lead to more than 4.6 million tonnes by 2016. That would correspond to 80% of the total bioplastics production capacity. Following PET is biobased PE with 250,000 tonnes, constituting more than 4 % of the total production capacity.

A disturbing trend to be observed is the geographic distribution of production capacities. Europe and North America remain interesting as locations for research and development and also important as sales markets. However, establishment of new production capacities is favoured in South America and Asia. “European Bioplastics invites European policy makers to convert their declared interest into concrete measures. “We are seeing many general supportive statements at EU level and in the Member States”, says Andy Sweetman, Chairman of European Bioplastics. “There is, however, a lack of concrete measures. If Europe wants to profit from growth at all levels of the value chain in our industry, it is high time the correspon- ding decisions are made.”

“But also biodegradable plastics are demonstrating impressive growth rates. Their production capacity will increase by two-thirds by 2016,”states Hasso von Pogrell, Managing Director of European Bioplastics. Leading

Global production capacity of bioplastics 5,779 776

1.000 metric t

5.000 4.000 3.000

5,003

2.000 1,016 342

1.000 23

1,161 486

249 226

674

675

2009

2010

2011

Biodegradable

2016 Forecast

Biobased/non-biodegradable Total capacity Source: European Bioplastics / Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites (October 2012)

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

“The enormous growth makes allowance for the constantly increasing demand for sustainable solutions in the plastics market. Eventually, bioplastics have achieved an established position in numerous application areas, from the packaging market to the electronics sector and the automotive industry”, says von Pogrell.

www.european-bioplastics.org

Info: Download market data charts in English and German from www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/201206

Cover Story

The Eco-baby doll For its hundredth birthday the PETITCOLLIN doll is again biobased and more eco-friendly

(Photo: Michael Thielen)

etitcollin is the oldest and ultimate French doll maker. One hundred years ago a new type of toy was born at Petitcollin. It would progressively revolutionize the doll market. Strong, washable, unbreakable and above all affordable, the Petit Colin doll was born using celluloïd (regarded to be the first plastic on the market) as the basic material until 1960. Over the course of time it has become the symbol of many generations of little girls and the icon of the Petitcollin brand. It is still manufactured today and certainly holds the record of longevity for toys on the market. To celebrate its hundredth birthday, as indeed it should, Petitcollin has decided to break new ground by introducing its new Petit Colin Eco-baby from a new bio-based plastic instead of fossil-based HDPE. The Eco-baby doll, like its predecessors is fully manufactured in France by blow moulding, followed by assembling and decoration. Its body is made from GAÏALENE®, a starchbased plastic industrially produced by Roquette in France. Petitcollin chose this plastic because it comes from a nonGMO plant-based resource, widely available and produced locally. In addition, this plant-based plastic is eco-friendly, presents certified environmental benefits, – in particular a 65% lower carbon footprint than fossil-based HDPE - and is 100% recyclable at the end of its life cycle. The Eco-baby doll wears clothes made from organic cotton grown without pesticides. Very soft to touch and with a silky appearance, the Petit Colin Eco-baby is the first doll to be mainly made from a natural, fully recyclable material. This doll combines sustainable development and local production with environmental protection - values which the brand holds dear. Jouets Petitcollin is today a subsidiary of Vilac S.A.S., a manufacturer of wooden toys established in 1911. The Petitcollin factory in Etain has been open to the public since 1998 and the company shares its long tradition of know-how and its unrivalled history in a musicological space devoted to the brand that has been receiving visitors since September 2009. www.petitcollin.com www.vilac.com www.gaialene.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Films | Flexibles | Bags

Plastic bags in California A discussion of plastic bag bans and the future of biobased bags in California

by Sue Vang Californians Against Waste Sacramento, California, USA

alifornia is leading the way in phasing out unnecessary single-use plastic carryout bags.

San Francisco was the first city in the state, and the USA, to ban plastic bags in 2007. Currently, it is also the only California jurisdiction to allow the sale of compostable plastic shopping bags and provide residents a curbside composting program where they can properly dispose of them. Along with San Francisco, 51 other local governments across the state have banned plastic carryout bags since then [1]. The most recent ordinances are designed to shift consumers towards reusable bag use by banning plastic bags and placing a charge on paper bags.

Why Plastic Bags? Plastic carryout bags are not only causing harm to our wildlife and environment, they also cost the state upwards of $300 million each year for litter management, repairs of clogged equipment, and inflated product prices. Recycling or placing a deposit on these bags (similar to the Bottle Bill deposit) will not work. Despite having a statewide collection infrastructure, the last reported recycling rate for plastic grocery bags was 3% [2]. Moreover, the material has a tendency to get caught in the bearings and shafts of sorting machinery, resulting in expensive repairs and lost revenue. Not only did the City of San Jose report $1 million annual loss during its short-lived curbside collection program for plastic bags, it also noted that the market for the material was so dismal the city ended up paying someone to take them away instead [3].

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Voluntary efforts to decrease plastic bag use have been nowhere near as successful as plastic bag bans or charges. Los Angeles Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plastic bag ban recently reported a 95% reduction of all single-use bags [4], and a five cent bag charge in Washington DC dropped single-use bag distribution from an estimated 22.5 million to 3.3 million in the first month alone, an 85% decrease [5]. Meanwhile, an extensive program in Santa Clara County, CA to encourage reusable bags resulted in a 2% increase[6], and South San Franciscoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s voluntary bag ban reported noncompliance from several large stores after the first nine months [7].

History At the state level, legislation to reduce plastic bag usage has been introduced several times but remains unsuccessful for the time being. In 2003, Assembly Bill (AB) 586 (Koretz) proposed a two cent charge on single-use plastic bags and cups, with the proceeds going into a litter cleanup fund. The bill did not pass out of the legislature. Several years later, AB 2449 (Levine) became the first major plastic bag regulation passed in the state. In 2006, it mandated a statewide bag recycling infrastructure while at the same time prohibiting local governments from requiring a charge on plastic bags. San Francisco, which had been poised to vote on a plastic bag charge prior to AB 2449â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s passage, subsequently adopted an outright ban of the product. In the years after AB 2449, the legislature introduced several measures for a statewide solution charging for

Films | Flexibles | Bags

single-use plastic bags (AB 2058/AB 2769/AB 2829 in 20072008 and AB 68/AB 87/AB 1141 in 2009-2010), all of which were unable to make it out of the legislature.

And this number could likely increase with the passage and implementation of AB 341 (Chesbro), placing a 75% recycling goal for the state by the year 2020.

Meanwhile, local governments continued to ban plastic bags in the wake of San Francisco’s leadership, with LA County becoming the first to add a paper bag charge in 2010. A few months earlier, a similar proposal in the state (AB 1998) by Assembly Member Brownley had failed by just a few votes to pass the final house on the last day of session.

Another concern is whether or not these bioplastic bags are actually environmentally beneficial. False claims could lead to increased littering behavior, or contamination in the compost and recycling streams if the material doesn’t break down as promised.

Recent News The California state legislature runs on a two year cycle. The last cycle started in January 2011 and ended on August 31, 2012. During this session, it was no surprise that several bag-related bills were introduced. Two of those bills were AB 298 and Senate Bill (SB 1219). AB 298 (Brownley) proposed to ban plastic bags and require a charge on allowed bags (ie. paper, compostable plastic, and reusable bags). The bill was still in a policy committee at the end of session, but can be reintroduced under a new author and bill number in the next session. In the interim, environmental advocates continue to build on the momentum at the local ordinance level. SB 1219 (Wolk) extends the AB 2449 sunset from 2013 to 2020 while at the same time removing the preemption on local bag charges. The bill passed out of the legislature and was signed into law this year.

Outlook for Bioplastic Bags While San Francisco remains the only California jurisdiction to ban all single-use plastic carryout bags except for compostable plastic bags, other cities could potentially consider including the bags in their ordinances as well. One major benefit, as San Francisco has realized, is that these bags could be reused to help collect and compost residential food and yard waste, eliminating the contamination issues associated with non-compostable bags in organic waste. But a major concern is whether or not there is local infrastructure for proper disposal of compostable plastic bags. For example, AB 298 would have allowed the sale of compostable bags, provided that a “majority of the residential households in the jurisdiction have access to curbside collection of foodwaste for composting.” If there isn’t a pathway to commercial composting, the compostable plastic bags will not meet their intended end-of-life destination.

Fortunately, under SB 567 (DeSaulnier) all plastic products in the state must meet specific environmental marketing requirements, e.g., passing ASTM Standard Specifications D6400 or D6868 before being labeled as ‘compostable’. For the past few years, CAW (Californians Against Waste) has worked on an enforcement campaign against greenwashed plastics, resulting in several successful investigations and removals of illegally labeled ‘biodegradable’ products from the marketplace [9]. As decision makers recognize the potential benefits and utility of biobased plastic bags—from collecting more food waste to shifting away from oil-based plastics and towards renewable resources—this could result in a growing trend of proposed plastic bag legislation and ordinances which include these products. But before that happens, certain obstacles must be overcome. Although the future of biobased bags in California is still unwritten, state legislation sponsored by CAW could pave the way for more truly compostable bags by encouraging food scrap composting and discouraging greenwashing. www.cawrecycles.org [1] http://www.cawrecycles.org/issues/plastic_campaign/plastic_ bags/local (accessed October 29, 2012) [2] http://calrecycle.ca.gov/plastics/atstore/AnnualRate/2009Rate. htm (accessed October 29, 2012) [3] http://www.sanjoseca.gov/planning/eir/SingleUseBagBan/ SINGLE-USE CARRYOUT BAG ORDINANCE.pdf (accessed October 29, 2012) [4] http://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/aboutthebag/index.cfm (accessed October 30, 2012) [5] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/ article/2010/03/29/AR2010032903336.html (accessed October 30, 2012) [6] http://www.surfrider.org/coastal-blog/entry/voluntary-plasticbag-reductions-dont-work (accessed October 30, 2012) [7] http://southsanfrancisco.patch.com/articles/voluntary-singleuse-bag-ban-nine-months-in (accessed October 30, 2012) [8] Biocycle Nationwide Survey, Residential Food Collection in the US, January 2012 [9] http://cawrecycles.org/issues/bioplastics_enforcement

Nearly 1.2 million households [8], or roughly 10%, in the state are reported to have curbside composting programs.

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Films | Flexibles | Bags

Green films in all colours Fig. 1: Variety of Huhtamaki‘s coloured PLA films

uhtamaki Films is an internationally recognised manufacturer of special films of the highest quality - individually developed according to customer requirements. Within the last two decades the company completed its range of innovative products by developing films from materials with a sustainable background, which means that they are biodegradable, compostable or derived from renewable resources. Having been a pioneer in bio-films Huhtamaki is one of today‘s most experienced producers in this sector with an outstandingly broad know-how covering production and converting processes, that was gathered throughout the years, in part in cooperation with a multiplicity of customers. Recently, besides biodegradability, the origin of the materials used for creating sustainable packaging hasbeen gaining in importance. Therefore, the focus is more and more on renewable materials as a source for deriving biopolymers. With Huhtamaki, the development of new films based on these renewable materials such as, polylactic acid (PLA), thermoplastic starch (TPS), green polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene furanoate (PEF) is an ongoing process. A broad range of inventive films also offers the possibility to integrate new functionalities by combining bio-based materials with conventional ones. These films, which may additionally be biodegradable, consist mainly of polymers derived from renewable raw materials and are able to meet the multiple requirements of the very diverse customers within the bio-packaging market.

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Bio-films Huhtamaki‘s bio-films, with a thickness in the range of 20 to 100 µm, are all produced using blown film extrusion lines with up to 5 different layers.

PLA Films Films made from PLA are highly transparent and glossy, enabling an uninterrupted view of the goods packed inside. Using special masterbatches, it is possible to homogeneously tint them in a variety of different colours with the option of preserving their original transparency (cf. fig. 1). As pure PLA is very rigid, Huhtamaki‘s PLA films are all flexibilised with a biodegradable modifier to enhance their mechanical properties. Because of the flexibilisation, especially the reduction of Young‘s modulus, these films are less noisy during processing and application. All PLA films are approved for food contact. They do not contain migrating substances, are grease resistant and exhibit a good barrier for aroma and alcohol. As PLA films possess an excellent deadfold and twisting behaviour, they are suitable for all kinds of wrapping applications such as candies, cheese or bread. Due to the relatively high transmission rates for oxygen and water vapour normally no additional anti-fog coating of the film is required when packing fresh food. If there is a need for a perforated packaging, the films can easily be die-cut. All PLA films can be sealed at temperatures lower than film made from conventional polyolefins, thus, saving energy while

Films | Flexibles | Bags

by Larissa Zirkel R&D Manager Technical Markets & Speciality Packaging Huhtamaki Films Germany Forchheim / Germany

Fig. 3: Fully biodegradable, embossed, metallised and hot stamped Huhtamaki PLA films on cardboard boxes

Another added value is the individualization of the packaging. Besides colour, a print design can help attract the customer‘s attention. Due to their high surface tension, PLA films can easily be printed. For decoration purposes, Huhtamaki also offers various embossing designs, metallised and silk matt films (cf. fig. 3). All these films are based on more than 80% renewable resources.They are fully industrially compostable in accordance with DIN EN 13432 and therefore physiologically harmless. Due to the co-extrusion process, the combination of PLA with conventional polymers offers the possibility of integrating new functions such as barrier properties. In contrast to a barrier coating, the benefit of the co-extruded structure is

the protection of the barrier layer in the middle of the film by the PLA outer layers. Protection against scratching, peel-off or splintering, which would cause a leakage in the barrier layer, is a key feature. Moreover, due to the co-extrusion technique the films remain sealable on both sides. With this technology, transparent barrier films can be produced with transmission rates of < 3 cm³/m²*d for oxygen and < 25 g/m²*d for water vapour. However, these films are no longer biodegradable but are mainly based on renewable resources, and can be certified according to the star system of Vinçotte (based on renewable carbon content 14C/12C as per ASTM D6866) with up to three stars for a content of 60-80% of bio-based materials.

30 Sealing Strength in N/15mm

being processed. If necessary, the films can be equipped with excellent antistatic properties. Customers in general prefer packaging that offers them the utmost convenience while handling. One option to generate such a packaging is to incorporate an easy-to-open function. Due to the coextrusion process for producing Huhtamaki‘s PLA films, one of the outer layers can be equipped with a peel function. By varying the amount of peeling agent, the resulting sealing strength of the films can be adjusted to exactly meet the customer’s specific requirements. Therefore, the perfect opening force can be achieved by adapting the peel layer composition to the geometry of the seal and sealing device. The continuous reduction of sealing strength with increasing amount of peeling agent is shown in figure 2.

25 20 15 10 5 0 Amount of Peeling Agent

Fig. 2: Variation of sealing strength of Huhtamaki PLA films with increasing amount of peeling agent

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Films | Flexibles | Bags TPS Films Another bio-polymer for producing films, that are biodegradable, is TPS. Compared to PLA films, those made of thermoplastic starch show totally different properties. As TPS is a very soft material, films based on it exhibit a velvet soft touch. Unlike PLA these films are not transparent and glossy, but have an opaque and matt appearance. Due to their softness, these films are ideal for very discreet packages, preferred mainly in the hygiene and health care sector for packing goods such as baby diapers, sanitary napkins, tampons and incontinence products. Due to their PE-like mechanical behaviour they are also suitable for producing all kinds of bags. All TPS films are antistatic and superbly printable. They do not show migration, are physiologically harmless and have a low coefficient of friction. Most of the TPS resins today are fully biodegradable but are, for mechanical reasons, often blended with biodegradable but mineral oil based co-polyesters. As the focus of the bio-plastics industry has shifted more and more from biodegradability to bio-based materials, Huhtamaki is developing new biodegradable films with a content of polymers derived from renewable resources of more than 50%.

Green PE Films

Fig. 4: Huhtamaki’s bio-bags for baby napkins

After already being established for injection moulding applications, green PE, based on bio-ethanol from, for example sugar cane, is increasingly gathering importance within the polymer film sector as well. Films produced from green PE do not differ from common polyolefin films in terms of mechanical properties, barrier characteristics and processing behaviour. They can be sealed, printed, coloured and coated like conventional PE films. At below 1 g/cm³ their density is significantly lower than that of PLA or TPS. Films from green PE can be classified as PE waste and, thus, be integrated into established waste and recycling streams. Therefore, they can serve as drop-in solutions for already existing packaging applications, bringing a sustainable benefit thanks to their biobased origin reducing the overall CO2 content in the atmosphere. Recently, Huhtamaki realized its first films from green PE with a content of more than 85% material derived from renewable resources and with a thickness between 20 and 75 µm, which can be certified according to the Vinçotte star system with up to 4 stars.

Bio-bags Besides films for packaging or further converting, Huhtamaki Films Germany additionally offers the possibility of providing customer-tailored bags for diapers made from various kinds of biofilms, i.e. TPS, bio-blends or green PE (cf. fig. 4). Like conventional PE bags, they can be 8-colour flexo-printed with individual designs, have excellent welding seams, and can automatically be filled by high speed diaper packaging machines. Certifications are available depending on the respective bio-material used. As only few bio-materials are available today it is still challenging to achieve the properties exhibited by conventional polymers. However, new bioplastics like PEF (cf. bM 04/2012) will further broaden the range of sustainable films at Huhtamaki in the future. www.films.huhtamaki.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

POWERING

PERFORMANCE Lighter vehicles, powerful photovoltaic cells, highly resistant paints and coatings, plentiful drinking water, long-lasting batteries, winning sports equipment: these are important challenges for industries, today and in the future. These are also what drive Arkema, now a global chemical specialties company, to develop with our customers competitive and sustainable innovations. Arkema, from chemistry to performance.

ADVANCED M ATERIALS CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES BI OSO U RC E D PRO DU CTS

arkema.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Materials

Turning biomass into bioplastics and carbon fibers

onceptually, to be able to use naturally synthesized biopolymers from plant biomass, one needs to devise a ‘sorting mechanism’ that separates at high yield and high purity the products of interest. This, however, is not an easy task since plants are a natural composite material, where the components making it are organized in a highly intricate way.

This challenge of devising an efficient extraction process for carbohydrates from cellulosic polymers and lignin polymers is well met by the CASETM process of Virdia. In this process, the biomass is first pre-treated to extract by chemical means much of the hemi cellulose sugars along with a great deal of the extractives and the ash components present in the feedstock; the sugars are then refined and concentrated from this stream. The remaining ‘clean’ (preextracted) wood is then hydrolyzed in high concentration HCl at low temperatures, where all the remaining cellulose is hydrolyzed to saccharides while lignin is collected as solid. Both sugars and lignin are then refined to high purity in sequential processes. All chemicals including the acid are recycled effectively in these processes to minimize environmental effects and to reduce costs. As implied by the process name - CASE stands for Concentrated Acid Solvent Extraction, it utilizes HCl at 4243% to fully hydrolyze the cellulose including the cellulose crystalline fraction, thus enabling the harvest of ca. 95% of the theoretical carbohydrates in the biomass. Typically the overall cellulose and hemi cellulose fractions consist about 65% of the dry biomass weight. Hydrolysis of the crystalline fraction, that can constitute up to 63% of the cellulose in biomass, is not possible in enzyme based saccharification, and is typically not attained neither in sulfuric based hydrolysis nor in organosolv technologies. Another factor that contributes to achieving high yield of sugars is the low operation temperature of the process of 10-15°C in the concentrated acid solution, in contrast to other processes which require high temperatures (~200°C).

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Consequently only a small fraction of the hydrolyzed sugars degrade despite the high acidity of the solution. This is an old-new approach to the challenge of producing from biomass. A similar hydrolysis process was utilized in industrial scale in Germany in the 1930’s to 1940’s, only the acid was diluted with water, which made recycling complex and too costly. Virdia’s technology relies on recycling of the acid through solvent extraction. One more essential element is the quality of the product: to support use of cellulosic sugars in fermentation processes other than ethanol production, high purity of the sugar syrup is an absolute must, as many of the fermenting microbe species, particularly engineered ones as envisioned for the production of new plastic materials, are highly sensitive to impurities that are typically found in biomass hydrolysate such as furfurals, soluble lignin fractions, ash elements and organic acids. Virdia sugars are compatible with the best of corn sugars (DEX95 standard). This is achieved by removing as much as possible extractive and ash upfront in the pretreatment stage, by working at low temperature and hence minimizing degradation of sugars, and by designing purification steps in the final stages of the process. The Virdia team enjoys many years of experience in sugar production of its leading engineers, who earlier spent a lifetime career in the sugar industry giants of the world. The quality of the sugars has been repeatedly demonstrated by partnering companies that fermented the sugars or applied them in chemically catalyzed processes to produce amino acids, citric acid, yeast, plastic monomers and polymers, jet fuel, as well as ethanol and butanol. Similarly, the quality of the lignin was designed to meet the requirements of high end applications. Lignin makes some 20-30% of the dry weight in most biomass. Current use of lignin for any purpose other than burning it for its energy is very minimal. Nonetheless, sustainable development of a biobased value chain necessitates that high value applications of

Materials

by Noa Lapidot, EVP R&D and Eran Baniel, General Manager & VP Business Development Virdia Danville, Virginia, USA and Herzlia, Israel Figure 2: Potential applications: carbon fibers for automotive applications (iStockphoto/BrooksElliott)

lignin be developed and commercialized. The poor volume of lignin use in the world is not for lack of wanting; much efforts have been and still are being directed to the development of such applications. In many cases a major obstacle to utilizing lignin as raw material was the high percent of impurities present in available lignin streams, particularly high levels of sulfur compounds and ash.

Carbon fibres from lignin Through the CASE process, lignin remains as solid and is washed to recover acid and sugars which are held by its sponge-like form. The purity of this lignin is high (~93-95%), but still insufficient for high end applications such as the manufacturing carbon fibers from this lignin or using it as raw material for catalytic cracking. To that end, a further refining process was designed whereby residues of acid, carbohydrates and ash are removed to obtain lignin which is 99% pure. Recently, Oak Ridge National Laboratories (ORNL) Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA successfully prepared carbon fiber prototypes from high purity pine lignin prepared this way. According to ORNL, the lignin sample performed well in spinning and stabilization/carbonization trials and shows promise of being a commercial carbon fiber precursor. Virdia continues its collaboration with ORNL to develop lignin as a source for low cost carbon fibers, to be incorporated in common vehicles for weight reduction.

Cellulosic sugars, from plant-derived biomass, can be a game changer for the sugar market, with the potential to reach quantities able to supply much of the bioproduct industries as well as meet up to a third of global liquid fuel demand. Cellulosic sugars can be made from a variety of easily available and interchangeable sources of biomass, such as wood and wood waste, agricultural products and agricultural waste, and municipal and green waste, and can easily endure market fluctuations that plague traditional sugar production. The conditions for making this possible simply require a cost-effective solution to turn biomass into sugars, and the know-how to cheaply refine the sugars and remove all impurities. All this Virdia has compiled under one roof, with the proposal for an additional critical condition – creation of a high-value co-product solid lignin stream. Current economic evaluation of lignin price is done according to its energy value: 0.07-0.13 €/kg (0.04-0.08 US$/lb). Any higher price that can be obtained from other lignin products will contribute dramatically to the value proposition of the technology. Several directions seem to be a good valorizing opportunity for lignin, including the above mentioned use as source for carbon fiber, but also cracking lignin to small molecules (phenols, BTXs (= benzene, toluene and xylene isomers)) or using lignin as polymer, to substitute petroleum derived polymers and as flame retardant, anti oxidant and UV absorber.

Cellulosic sugar and lignin as a commodity A crucial aspect in the establishment of this emerging technology is the cost aspect. Cellulosic sugars have to compete in price with traditional sugars. Sugar prices, whether sourced from cane, beet or corn sugars, have fluctuated from 0.35 €/kg (0.20 US$/lb) to 0.70 €/kg (0.40 US$/lb) over the past five years on US and World commodity exchanges. This high volatility has been a result both of environmental impacts of changing weather conditions, as well as from quickly growing end-user markets for bioproducts and ethanol.

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Materials American industry, Israeli know-how and an old military technology make this possible Virdia is the brainchild of two Israeli scientists, Professor Avraham Baniel and Professor Aharon Eyal, who have together for many years pioneered a number of now standardized extraction processes used in industries worldwide. Prof. A. Baniel has long had his eye on improving a costly but proven method to use concentrated hydrochloric acid (HCl) hydrolysis of biomass as an analytical method to determine the composition of the sugars, lignin and tall oils in ligno-cellulose, which was pioneered over a 100 years ago. The industrial potential of scaling up this technology was proven during World War II, when the Germans pursued alternative sources of energy in anticipation of Allied attacks on their supplies of fossil fuel. They chose a process developed by Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Friedrich Bergius that used concentrated hydrochloric acid (HCl) to make sugars from biomass. Dr. Bergiusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s process, although reliable, was not used after the war, as it was uneconomical and highly damaging to the environment. Based on a collaboration spanning decades, scaling up bench-scale processes to industrial levels, this Israeli duo has colluded with a group of American engineers from the traditional sugar industry, led by Robert Jansen, to apply a series of extraction and separation process to the Bergius process, and create a viable, economic and environmentally sound solution to mass produce cellulosic sugars for a price that can revolutionize many industrial markets. The company Virdia evolved since its conception 5 years ago to a US based company Redwood City, California) with a subsidiary in Herzlia/Israel. It is operating a Process Development Unit at its technology center in Danville Virginia as of April 2012. www.virdia.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Figure 2: Solid lignin fraction

Polylactic Acid Uhde Inventa-Fischer has expanded its product portfolio to include the innovative stateof-the-art PLAneo ® process. The feedstock for our PLA process is lactic acid, which can be produced from local agricultural products containing starch or sugar. The application range of PLA is similar to that of polymers based on fossil resources as its physical properties can be tailored to meet packaging, textile and other requirements. Think. Invest. Earn.

Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH Holzhauser Strasse 157–159 13509 Berlin Germany Tel. +49 30 43 567 5 Fax +49 30 43 567 699 Uhde Inventa-Fischer AG Via Innovativa 31 7013 Domat/Ems Switzerland Tel. +41 81 632 63 11 Fax +41 81 632 74 03 marketing@uhde-inventa-ﬁscher.com www.uhde-inventa-ﬁscher.com

Uhde Inventa-Fischer bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Films | Flexibles | Bags

High barrier PLA films by Peter Ettridge Product Development Manager Technical Specialties Amcor Flexibles Europe & Americas

ver recent years, Amcor Flexibles has carried out extensive research into SiOx coating of renewable films. PLA (polylactic acid) has proved to be a suitable base film and Amcor Flexibles has developed a thin film coating technology to SiOx coat this special film.

The result is an innovative, renewable and compostable (certified) Ceramis®-PLA barrier film. The thin SiOx coating offers excellent barrier properties against oxygen and water vapour and thus provides the necessary barrier for using PLA films in shelf-stable food packaging. Ceramis-PLA fulfils the requirements of the DIN EN 13432:2000-12 standard and is certified by DIN CERTCO. Unlike other barrier coatings, the SiOx material is an inert inorganic material, and as such it does not affect the compostability or recyclability of the PLA film. As CeramisPLA is halogen free, it also avoids any potential environmental hazards associated with halogenated barrier materials. Fig. 1 shows the barrier performance of Ceramis-PLA. When used as part of a laminate structure, Ceramis-PLA gives barrier levels suitable for cheese, cured meat and sensitive dry food.

Manufacturing Process Fig. 1: Barrier performance of Ceramis-PLA OTR [cm3 / (m2 24h bar)] at 23°C, 50% RH

10000 1000 PLA 20 µm, plain

100

Ceramis®-PLA 20 µm

Ceramis -PLA/PLA (laminate) ®

1 0,1 0,1 1

10 100 1000 WVTR [g / (m2 24h)] at 23°C, 85% RH

Retort food Dry bread, cereals, snack food Cheese, cured, meat, dry food Fresh products (MAP), confectionary

Fig 2: Coating process

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

The Ceramis coating mainly consists of silicon dioxide. Silicon dioxide, known in its crystalline form as quartz, is the most common mineral in the earth’s crust. It is also the most common base material for glass manufacturing. When quartz sand is melted it transforms from a crystalline to an amorphous state. In the amorphous state it turns clear and transparent. When cooled down fast enough, the silicon oxide remains in the amorphous state and stays clear, like quartz glass. Ceramis films are manufactured in a high vacuum process. As the coating material, silicon dioxide, is heated by electron beams, it evaporates (Fig 2). It then condenses on the PLA film and forms a very thin glass layer that is conveyed on a cooling roll. The silicon oxide, however, has been modified in such a way that the ‘glass layer’ is flexible and can withstand typical movements of the film. No solvents or other chemicals, which could result in harmful emissions to the environment, are used during the production process; just sand and electricity.

Films | Flexibles | Bags

Consumers should not take the word ‘glass’ too literally, because the layer is approximately 1,000 times thinner than a human hair and thus cannot be seen by the human eye (Fig 3). Furthermore it can be easily flexed without cracking. Since the layer is so thin, it is necessary to protect it with another plastic film in a laminate structure. More and more, consumers appreciate the ability to see the product inside the packaging before they buy it, especially in the food market. Ceramis films offer highest clarity, with special grades that provide built-in UV protection.

Fig 3: Thickness of Ceramis Layer Pinhead 2-3 mm

10-2 m

10-3 m

1 millimeter

10-4 m Dust mite 200 micron 10-5 m

Ceramis-PLA films are finding increasing applications in the market, offering outstanding clarity, excellent product shelf life, in combination with renewability and usability for compostable packaging.

10-6 m

1 µm (micron)

Human hair 60 micron

www.amcor.com/ceramis

10-7 m Ceramis® layer thickness range 10-8 m

10-9 m

1 nanometer

10-10 m

New ‘basics‘ book on bioplastics This new book, created and published by Polymedia Publisher, maker of bioplastics is now available in English and German language.

MAGAZINE

The book is intended to offer a rapid and uncomplicated introduction into the subject of bioplastics, and is aimed at all interested readers, in particular those who have not yet had the opportunity to dig deeply into the subject, such as students, those just joining this industry, and lay readers. It gives an introduction to plastics and bioplastics, explains which renewable resources can be used to produce bioplastics, what types of bioplastic exist, and which ones are already on the market. Further aspects, such as market development, the agricultural land required, and waste disposal, are also examined. An extensive index allows the reader to find specific aspects quickly, and is complemented by a comprehensive literature list and a guide to sources of additional information on the Internet. The author Michael Thielen is editor and publisher bioplastics MAGAZINE. He is a qualified machinery design engineer with a degree in plastics technology from the RWTH University in Aachen. He has written several books on the subject of blowmoulding technology and disseminated his knowledge of plastics in numerous presentations, seminars, guest lectures and teaching assignments.

110 pages full color, paperback ISBN 978-3-9814981-1-0: Bioplastics ISBN 978-3-9814981-0-3: Biokunststoffe

Order now for € 18.65 or US-$ 25.00 (+ VAT where applicable, plus shipping and handling, ask for details) order at www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/books, by phone +49 2161 6884463 or by e-mail books@bioplasticsmagazine.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Materials

Waste cooking oil makes bioplastics cheaper

Waste cooking oil

Bacterial fermentation

PHA within bacterial cells

Isolated bioplastic!

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Bioplastics that are naturally synthesized by microbes could be made commercially viable by using waste cooking oil as a starting material. This would reduce environmental contamination and also give high-quality plastics suitable for many applications, according to scientists who presented their work at the Society for General Microbiology‘s Autumn Conference (03 - 05 Sept. 2012) at the University of Warwick, UK. Even though there are plenty measures in place to collect and recycle waste cooking oil, for example into soap or biodiesel, data from the UK environmental agency [1] suggest that still large amounts of these end up incinerators. Or they are disposed off into the environment despite the increasing level of sensitisation. Using waste cooking or deep frying oil to make bioplastics which can be used as household’s utensils as well as industrial and biomedical plastics will help create an alternative use of waste cooking oil. This is also likely to aid sensitisation programmes such as a suggested ‘waste oil to household plastic campaign’. The Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) family of polyesters is synthesized by a wide variety of bacteria as an energy source when their carbon supply is plentiful. Poly 3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) is the most commonly produced polymer in the PHA family. Currently, growing bacteria in large fermenters to produce high quantities of this bioplastic is expensive because glucose is used as a starting material. Work by a research team at the University of Wolverhampton suggests that using waste cooking oil as a starting material reduces production costs of the plastic. “Our bioplasticproducing bacterium, Ralstonia eutropha H16, grew much better in oil over 48 hours and consequently produced three times more PHB than when it was grown in glucose,“ explained Victor Irorere who carried out the research. “Electrospinning experiments, performed in collaboration with researchers from the University of Birmingham, showed that nanofibres of the plastic produced from oils were also

Materials

Shaping the future of biobased plastics

less crystalline, which means the plastic is more suited to medical applications.“ Previous research has shown that PHB is an attractive polymer for use as a microcapsule for effective drug delivery in cancer therapy and also as medical implants, due to its biodegradability and non-toxic properties. www.purac.com/bioplastics 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 Improved quality of PHB combined with low production Prozess CyanProzess MagentaProzess GelbProzess Schwarz costs would enable it to be used more widely. Potential applications include every day articles such as pens, cutlery, mobile phone housings or plastic containers. In agriculture, PHA can be used in seed encapsulation, slow 544.175 purac adv 105x148mm.indd 1 release of fertilizers, making bioplastic mulch films and containers for hothouse facilities. The disposal of used plastics - which are largely nonbiodegradable - is a major environmental issue. Plastic waste on UK beaches has been steadily increasing over the past two decades and now accounts for about 60% of marine debris. If plastic parts made of PHB end up in a marine environment by mistake, they would degrade and not increase this debris. They can however be no solution against littering. “Unfortunately the cost of glucose as a starting material has seriously hampered the commercialization of bioplastics, said Dr Iza Radecka who is leading the research. “Using waste cooking oil is a double benefit for the environment as it enables the production of bioplastics but also reduces environmental contamination caused by disposal of waste oil.“ The next challenge for the group is to do appropriate scale-up experiments, to enable the manufacture of bioplastics on an industrial level. www.wlv.ac.uk [1] Waste Vegetable Oil - A technical report on the manufacture of products from waste vegetable oil. WRAP, 2007 (http://en.calameo.com/read/00142079145335bcfca12)

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

19-03-2012

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

• Current Market Prices for Plastics.

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

CMY

er.com lastick www.p

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

sional Profes Fast • • te a d Up-to-

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Materials

Renewable naphtha for producing bioplastics

este Oil, Espoo, Finland - the world´s largest producer of renewable diesel - has launched the commercial production and sales of renewable naphtha for corporate customers. Among others NExBTL renewable naphtha can be used as a feedstock for producing bioplastics. Neste Oil is one of the world´s first companies to supply bio-naphtha on a commercial scale. NExBTL naphtha is produced as a side product of the biodiesel refining process at Neste Oil´s sites in Finland, the Netherlands, and Singapore. NExBTL biodiesel is made of more than 50% crude palm oil, over 40% of waste and residue (such as waste animal fat), and the rest out of various vegetable oils. Thus the bio-naphta is 100% based on renewable resources. “All our raw materials are fully traceable and comply fully with sustainability criteria embedded in biofuels-related legislation (e.g. EU RED)”, as Kaisa Hietala, Vice President, Renewable Fuels at Neste Oil explained to bioplastics MAGAZINE.

All ethylene, propylene, butylene, and butadiene-based polymers can be derived from NExBTL Renewable Naphtha. These are for example PE, PP, PVC, Acrylates, PET, ABS, SAN, ASA, Epoxies, Polyurethanes and include biodegradable polymers such as PBAT or PBS. Bioplastics produced from NExBTL naphtha can be used in numerous industries that prioritize the use of renewable and sustainable raw materials, such as companies producing plastic parts for the automotive industry and packaging for consumer products. The mechanical and physical properties of bioplastics produced from NExBTL renewable naphtha are fully comparable with those of plastics produced from fossil naphtha; and the carbon footprint of these plastics is smaller than that of conventional fossil-based plastics. Bioplastic products produced from NExBTL renewable naphtha can be recycled with conventional fossil-based plastic products, and can be used as a fuel in energy generation following recycling. www.nesteoil.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

BIOADIMIDETM IN BIOPLASTICS. EXPANDING THE PERFORMANCE OF BIO-POLYESTER.

AILABLE: CT LINE AV EXPAND U D O R P W NE IVES E™ ADDIT TER BIOADIMID IO-POLYES B F O E C N MA THE PERFO

BioAdimide™ additives are specially suited to improve the hydrolysis resistance and the processing stability of bio-based polyester, specifically polylactide (PLA), and to expand its range of applications. Currently, there are two BioAdimide™ grades available. The BioAdimide™ 100 grade improves the hydrolytic stability up to seven times that of an unstabilized grade, thereby helping to increase the service life of the polymer. In addition to providing hydrolytic stability, BioAdimide™ 500 XT acts as a chain extender that can increase the melt viscosity of an extruded PLA 20 to 30 percent compared to an unstabilized grade, allowing for consistent and easier processing. The two grades can also be combined, offering both hydrolysis stabilization and improved processing, for an even broader range of applications.

Focusing on performance for the plastics industries. Whatever requirements move your world: We will move them with you. www.rheinchemie.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Application News

PLA flexible packaging for Pet-food The global pet food industry, of which Europe and the U.S. make up 80%, is expected to grow to $56.4 billion (€44 billion) by 2015 according to Pet Foods: A Global Strategic Business Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Trends in the pet food industry strongly correlate with societal ideas about nutrition.

PLA Sunshades M+N Projecten in Delfgauw, The Netherlands, manufactures polyester-based sunshade systems for commercial buildings. The green building revolution and proliferation of green building certifications had been on the company’s development radar for a number of years. In 2010, the company began a research and development project into fabrics that would meet green building certification guidelines while providing the performance equivalent of polyester in sunshade applications. Initial research into Ingeo™ PLA showed promising results. With the help of supplier/ partners, M+N Projecten developed a new sunshade material, which is now being marketed under the Revolution® brand name. Revolution is an Ingeo-based sunshade fabric that meets the company’s green design and performance criteria. M+N Projecten says, “Revolution performs just as well as (conventional) polyester fabrics. It is very stable and durable. In terms of manufacturing there is less fossil fuel consumed and less greenhouse gases emitted than conventional polymers used in synthetic fibers.” M+N took its new sunscreen fabric to the largest electric supplier in the Netherlands, Eneco NV in Rotterdam which was then engaged in construction of a headquarters facility. Armed with environmental benefits calculations prepared by NatureWorks, M+N presented its case for the new solution. Appreciative of the low carbon, lightfast and durable performance solution that the fabrics provided, Eneco NV specified the Ingeo-based sunshade system for its new building and consequently gave M+N’s its first major customer for Revolution. www.mnprojecten.nl www.natureworksllc.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

High nutrition frozen dog food from Steve’s Real Pet Food (Murray, Utah, USA) is now available in an innovative Ingeo™ PLA based NVIRO® flexible bag from Eagle Flexible Packaging (Batavia, Illinois, USA). The new package incorporates a ZIP-PAK® press-to-close™ seal, made from Ingeo. This flexible package also features water-based inks that contain less than 5% volatile organic compounds. “I really wanted a solution that was green, not one that just sounded green,” says Nicole Lindsley, project manager at Steve’s. Cardinal Pet Care (Azusa, California, USA) and Tuffy’s Pet Food (Perham, Minnesota, USA) recently began using ECOTERAH™ brand packaging from Precision Color Graphics (Wilmington Delaware, USA). Introduced late last year, Ecoterah packaging consists of a multiwall paper bag lined with EarthFirst® PLA film made by Plastic Suppliers (Columbus, Ohio, USA) from NatureWorks’ Ingeo. The new packing is FDA approved for people and pet food, the company reports. It is BPI certified ASTM D6400 and is suitable for commercial/ industrial composting facilities where available. One application of the new multi-wall PLA-lined paper bag is Cardinal Pet Care’s Pet Botanics Healthy Omega Gourmet. Tuffy’s Pet Food features Ingeo-lined bags on several brands such as Nutri Source or Natural Planet Organics, a premium organic food for dogs and cats with fresh, organic ingredients including chicken, select grains, fruits and vegetables. “Ingeo bioplastic has been a perfect addition to our sustainable packaging initiative,” said Dan Brulz, vice president of Precision Color Graphics. “Ingeo offers a more than adequate oxygen and moisture barrier for many products. It also acts as a great sealant on pouches and roll stock items. Our clients have been proud to highlight the fact that they are making efforts to use more sustainable packaging.” About future projects, Dan Brulz told bioplastics MAGAZINE that they are currently in the process of doing shelf life testing on a variety of products including, potato chips, pasta, ground coffee, freeze dried vegetables, trial mix, nuts, and several others. “We feel the future is extremely bright for home grown polymers”. MT www.eagleflexible.com www.stevesrealfood.com www.cardinalpet.com www.tuffyspetfoods.com www.precisioncolor.com www.plasticsuppliers.com www.natureworksllc.com

Application News

Football boot The new Nike GS football boot is the lightest, fastest, most environmentally-friendly production boot the company has ever made. It is constructed using renewable and recycled materials, designed for explosive performance on the pitch and lower impact on the planet. Every component has been optimized to reduce weight and waste, creating Nike’s lightest football boot ever at 160 grams (size 9).

Stylish office baskets The French Company ELISE, a specialist in office paper recycling, has adopted ROQUETTE’s plant-based plastic GAÏALENE® for a new baskets that it is going to place at the disposal of companies next year. These new baskets, designed by the famous designer Philippe Starck, are intended for all kinds of companies that want to have a really professional solution for solving the question of waste on their premises. The elegant and refined baskets are available in various colours in order to encourage the recycling of office paper and also, for example, the recycling of used batteries, light bulbs, bottles or tins in companies. Unique and unrivalled on the market, these baskets combine both innovative design and functionality with sustainable production. They are produced by injection moulding of a rigid grade of Gaïalene that gives them a warm and soft feel. This bio-plastic is produced locally from vegetable crops of European origin. It is made industrially in France through starch grafting according to an innovative technology patented by Roquette. In addition the ELISEbyS+ARCK® baskets offer a very low carbon footprint and are themselves recyclable at the end of their lives. They thus perfectly translate the ethical and social commitment of the Elise Company to sustainable development that is respectful of the environment. Just recently Roquette and Elise were distinguished with an ‘Eco-Design’ award for the office basket at the Annual Sustainable Development and Enterprise Days (JADDE) held in Lille, France

Conceived and engineered in Italy, the Nike GS features recycled and renewable materials throughout the upper and plate design. The sole traction plate is made of 50% renewable Pebax® Rnew (a polyether block amide by Arkema made from 97% castor oil). The other 50% is Pearlthane® ECO TPU by Merquinsa. The Pearlthane ECO product line has an 82 to 95 Shore A hardness and covers a range of 32 to 46% bio-based carbon content (as per ASTM D-6866). The plate is 15% lighter than a traditional plate composition. The traction plate includes a minimalist diamond-silhouette spine, which provides optimal flex and agility in plate performance. Anatomically positioned studs maximize speed in multiple directions to ensure responsive and assured movement on pitch. The lightweight and chemical-free sock liner is made of a 100% castor bean based material (more details were not disclosed by Nike) and eliminates any layers for a snug fit and enhanced touch on the ball. The boot laces, lining and tongue are made from a minimum of 70% recycled materials. The toeboard and collar, feature at least 15% recycled materials. Anatomical and asymmetrical heel counter and heel bucket locks the foot down for stability and support. The counter is also made of Pebax Rnew. “The Nike GS is the lightest and fastest football boot we’ve ever made and really defines a new era in how we create, design and produce elite football boots,” said Andy Caine, global design director for Nike Football. “When you can deliver a boot that combines high end performance and a low environmental footprint that’s a winning proposition for players and planet.” MT www.nike.com - www.arkema.com - www.merquinsa.com

“We were honoured to have been selected as the material supplier by both Elise and Philippe Starck for the new office baskets, which combine innovative design and sustainable manufacturing. With their very low environmental footprint these baskets totally reflect the ethical and social responsibility of both companies with regard to sustainable development.” commented Léon Mentink, Gaïalene Product Manager. www.gaialene.com www.elise.com.fr

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Application News

World first for skin care industry International sustainable resins supplier, Cardia Bioplastics Limited from Mulgrave, Victoria, Australia and emerging organic skincare company, Ecocare Natural Pty Ltd (Sydney, Australia), have partnered to produce a world first in the skin care industry – ECOCARE™ eco-friendly facial wipes enclosed in eco-friendly packaging. The biodegradable facial wipes are made from 100% natural certified organic cotton. The packaging incorporates Cardia’s renewable and recyclable Biohybrid™ resin which is derived from renewable resources. The resulting ‘green’ combination has a significantly lower carbon footprint than its competitors. “There is a growing trend for companies to look at ways to reduce the impact of their operations on the environment,” said Dr Frank Glatz, Managing Director of Cardia Bioplastics. “Product packaging is a good place to start. “Our thermoplastic starch resins have a high renewable content – when they are incorporated into standard packaging or plastic products, the carbon footprint is reduced by up to 50%,” said Dr Glatz. “Ecocare has built its business on environmentfriendly products and we are proud to partner with them to develop packaging solutions that align with this philosophy.” Callan Taylor, Marketing Director of Ecocare, said: “Environmental sustainability is engrained in the Ecocare business model, and our range of skin care wipes have been built around this philosophy. “We are looking forward to working with Cardia to access environmentally-friendly and renewable packaging that complements our products and our principles,” Mr Taylor said. MT www.cardiabioplastics.com www.ecocarenatural.com

The Farmer First pack from Pistol & Burnes is a laminate construction of compostable NatureFlex™ film to paper, converted by Genpak

Coffee packs McCullagh Coffee, a US coffee roasting company (Buffalo, New York), has introduced a compostable pack, for its Rainforest Alliance Certified Ecoverde Coffee brand, using NatureFlex™ from Innovia Films. The cellulose-based films are certified to meet ASTM D6400, EN13432 and Australian AS4736 standards for compostable packaging. Their renewable biobased carbon content is typically 95% (ASTM D6866) The pack is constructed using transparent, heat-sealable NatureFlex NE, which is surface printed using a videojet machine. “We were delighted to assist McCullagh Coffee in realizing their sustainability goals. In applications such as this, where fast product turnover requires much shorter shelf life, a single mono web structure is one option. However, we would recommend coffee producers requiring very long shelf life to use high barrier tri-laminate type structures.” said Christopher Tom, Innovia Films Americas. Natureflex was also recenty introduced for a fully compostable pack, for the Farmer First brand by Pistol & Burnes, a leading Canadian coffee roasting company. The Fair Trade, organic coffee is packed in a paper bag laminated to transparent NatureFlex film. According to Roy M Hardy, President, Pistol & Burnes, “Most roasted coffee sold in the world is packaged in either foil bags (coated in plastic) or paper bags (with a plastic liner). These usually end up going straight to landfill as they can prove difficult to recycle. However our enviro–friendly coffee bag can be organically recycled (composted), which means it breaks down in a home compost bin.” The bags were developed by Genpak, a Canadian-based converter. Bill Reilly, Technical Manager, explained, “We recommended NatureFlex to Pistol & Burnes for several reasons. First and foremost, the film performs well technically, having high barrier properties and good seal integrity that enhance shelf life, keeping oxygen out and aroma in – very important for packaging coffee. Secondly, NatureFlex is perfectly aligned with the ethos of their Fair Trade, organic Farmer First brand.” MT www.mccullaghcoffee.com www.pistolandburnes.com www.innoviafilms.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Electronics

Electronic housings made from cellulosic bioplastic

new design of ‘Bio-enclosure’ has been announced by OKW for housing electronic controls. Used in diagnosis, therapy, measuring and control engineering, peripheral, interface equipment, and in the house, the list of enclosure or housing applications in the field of electronics for using all kinds of bioplastics could be continued endlessly.

of the final electronic unit can fluctuate widely depending on its use, the electronics installed and the electricity supply. In order to carry out an ecological contribution analysis, OKW had to define several marginal conditions. As a result they finally decided in favour of a Soft-Case enclosure operated as a mobile remote control.

For many years, OKW Gehäusesysteme from Buchen/ Germany has been pursuing the strategy of developing functional enclosures which are made from bioplastic. This new SOFT-CASE series of enclosures is a ‘wide format’ pocket-box. Using this design of enclosure the display elements can be accommodated in a small user-friendly space, while still being possible to use the enclosure in an upright position if required.

In the search for alternatives to standard ABS, suitable materials were required to have similar electrical, mechanical, physical and chemical properties. Materials that could be produced on existing moulds and with standard injection moulding machines were also important criteria.

Following comprehensive tests using various different biomaterials, OKW has decided in favour of using different types of BIOGRADE® which is produced by FKuR. Biograde offers a very good surface finish, has properties similar to those of ABS and can be processed using the normal injection moulding process. In addition, this bio-material is ideally suited for long-term indoor use. Furthermore Biograde’s heat distortion temperature (HDT-ISO 75/B) can be as high as 100°C (for selected grades). The path to designing the standard ‘Soft-Case’ enclosure in biomaterial began with the publication of the European ecodesign directive 2005/32/EC in 2005. In this directive, the environmental impact of products and services has to be continuously improved throughout their entire life cycles, from the mining of the raw materials through production, distribution and utilisation to recycling. The ecological balance

Experiments with enclosure parts made from natural fibre filled PP and PE showed a marbled, non-reproducible surface finish. PLA was somewhat difficult to process, as problems occurred at the drying and preheating stages leading to the agglomeration of the granules. However, even if the injection moulding of PLA had worked well, then sample parts did not exhibit sufficient heat stability. After consultation with FKuR one of their products, Biograde which demonstrates sufficient heat resistance, was chosen in off-white colour . For future bright coloured products OKW will use Biograde C 6509 CL along with a suitable colour masterbatch. Biograde is a polymer compound based on cellulose acetate (CA). The cellulose used in Biograde is derived from the renewable resources of wood or cotton linters. MT www.okw.com www.fkur.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Electronics

Bioplastics for IT-applications by Joe Kuczynski* and Dylan Boday^ Systems Technology Group IBM Corporation *Rochester, Minnesota, USA ^Tuscon, Arizona, USA

he past decade has witnessed explosive growth in bioplastics with new product announcements occurring on a weekly basis. Biobased compositions based on starch or resins such as polylactic acid (PLA) have achieved significant penetration in the non-durable goods market. However, stringent product requirements have slowed the adoption of biobased plastics for the electronics industry. Within the electronics industry, hardware designs have focused on miniaturization and weight reduction. Since engineering thermoplastics can be injection molded into complex shapes at very thin wall thicknesses, they have rapidly become the material of choice for complex enclosures. Moreover, as traditional petroleum-based thermoplastics can be rendered ignition resistant, the demand for flame retardant thermoplastics has experienced steady growth. The American Chemical Industry estimates that 725,000 tonnes of thermoplastics were sold to the electrical/electronics industry in 2010. Coupled with the fact that plastics represent the largest volume component of electronic scrap, a significant opportunity exists to drive the industry toward a more sustainable design point. A typical product offering within the information technology marketplace is a server. A server is a complex hardware device composed of numerous components that typically includes a printed circuit board, daughter cards, processors, a power supply, hard drives, network connections, and the associated cabling required to interconnect various servers. The entire system must meet various industry standards such as those specifying permissible radiated emission levels, flammability classification, and noise levels. To comply with these requirements, electromagnetic compatibility gaskets,

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

ignition-resistant thermoplastic housings, and acoustic foam are strategically designed into the server. Although numerous potential applications exist where biobased alternatives can displace petroleum-based materials, acoustic foams and thermoplastic covers are considered to be the two most easily addressed applications.

Acoustic foam Acoustic foam is typically an open cell, polyurethane foam synthesized via the reaction of an isocyanate with a polyol. Acoustic foam is fabricated to a targeted density and pore count (0.0320 g/cmÂł and 27 pores/cm, respectively, being the most common). Although there is presently no renewable source for the isocyanate, either soy bean or castor bean oil may be used as a sustainable source for the polyol. A direct substitution of biobased polyols for petroleumbased polyols is not presently possible as the physical properties of the resulting foam produced from biopolyols have been determined to be inferior (from IBMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s point of view). Consequently, commercially available acoustic foams contain less than 20 wt% biobased polyol. For acoustic foam applications, where the primary material property of interest is the sound absorption coefficient, theoretically greater bio-polyol content is possible. However, such foams have yet to be commercialized. Nevertheless, two biobased acoustic foams have been qualified for use in servers based on functional evaluation in a reverberation room (Fig. 1). At frequencies below 1000 Hz, which tend to be the most problematic to attenuate in server computers, the biobased polyurethane foams outperform their petroleum-based counterparts. Moreover, both of these bio-based foams meet the flammability requirements (UL 94 HBF) in all thicknesses

Electronics

Figure 1. The frequency dependence of the absorption coefficient of acoustic foams (courtesy M. Nobile, IBM Poughkeepsie).

1.2

Figure 2. Physical property comparison of petroleum-based PC/ABS and PLA/PC blends. Tensile Stress @ yield 120%

Absorption Coefficients of Acoustic Foams

Absorption Coefficient,

HDT B @ 0.45 MPa

Tensile elongation @ yield

100% 80% 60%

0.8

40% 20%

0.6

Petroleum-based foam Bio-based foam; Vendor A Bio-based foam; Vendor B

0.4

Tensile elongation @ break

Notched Izod Impact

0.2 0

Flexural modulus 50 80 125 200 315 500 800 1250 2000 3150 5000 63 100 160 250 400 630 1000 1600 2500 4000

Tensile modulus Flexural stress @ 5% Strain

One-Third Octave-Band Center Frequency, Hz 30 wt% PLA Blend 40 wt% PLA Blend PC/ABS

of interest (generally 2.5-6 cm) and do so without the use of brominated flame retardants, some of which are prohibited by various regulations in the global market. Furthermore, the flame retardants used are non-halogenated, an important feature as the current trend in the electronics industry is migration away from such materials. Finally, both of these commercially available foams are essentially cost neutral, an extremely important consideration in driving these materials into products. Consequently, IBM has been shipping product incorporating the biobased acoustic foam since the fourth quarter of last year.

Electronic enclosures Due to its excellent combination of physical properties, polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene- styrene (PC/ABS) resin has been the material of choice for electronic enclosures. The ability to mold complex geometries in very thin wall cross sections (down to 1.5 mm), coupled with creep resistance and a high flexural modulus required for latches and snap fits, has garnered PC/ABS the majority of share in the IT equipment market. In addition to these properties, server computers must meet stringent flammability requirements (UL 94 V0 classification at the minimum wall thickness of the part). Although various bio-based thermoplastics may be envisaged to replace PC/ABS blends, those based on polylactic acid (PLA) hold the greatest promise. However, since the homopolymer of PLA is very brittle (Notched Izod impact strength of 26 J/m compared to 747 J/m for a typical PC/ABS blend), it must be toughened. In addition, PLA has proven more difficult than PC/ABS to render ignition resistant. In blends with Polycarbonate (PC) where the PLA content exceeds 20 wt%, it has been found that straight compounding

of PLA with traditional nonhalogenated flame retardants resulted in blends with inferior properties. However, specialty compounders have successfully addressed these issues and have developed PLA blends at 20-40 wt% loading levels that compete favorably with flame retardant PC/ABS with respect to physical properties (Fig. 2). It can be seen that the physical properties of the PLA blends are within 80% of the PC/ABS benchmark material with the exception of the room temperature notched Izod impact strength. Impact strength decreases dramatically as the PLA content is increased from 30 wt% to 40 wt%, but functional part testing at the system level demonstrated that this reduction in impact strength is not a concern. Enclosure covers for server products that are currently installed in the field were molded from both of the PLA blends. The renewable resins passed all technical qualifications required for use in IT hardware. A major concern associated with the use of PLA blends is cost. However, it is projected that the cost of PC/ABS will continue to rise at 3-5%/year whereas the price for PLA blends should decrease as both demand and volume increase. Joint development efforts with material suppliers and plastic compounders will result in higher PLA concentrations within blends with acceptable physical properties. Although this effort is currently focused on plastic enclosures and housings, numerous other applications exist where renewable materials may displace petroleum based materials. www.ibm.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Politics

FTC Green Guides for BioPlastics

he U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently issued new Green Guides, on Environmental Marketing Claims to help marketers avoid deceptive environmental claims [1-3]. Previous versions of the Green Guides were issued in 1992, 1996, and 1998. These have important and serious implications for the marketing of bioplastic products in the USA. They do not have the force and effect of law and are not independently enforceable. However, the Commission can take action under the FTC Act if a marketer makes an environmental claim inconsistent with the Guides. This article reviews the current status and understandings of biobased and biodegradable/compostable plastics and the implications of the new FTC green guides for making marketing claims. The term Bioplastics describes two separate but inter-linked concepts: Biobased plastics – plastics made from biomass/plant feedstocks as opposed to petro/fossil feedstocks – the ‘beginning of life’. It refers to replacing petro/fossil carbon with biobased carbon. Biobased plastics derives its value proposition from having a zero material carbon footprint arising from the short (in balance) sustainable carbon cycle (different from process carbon footprint – the carbon

and environmental footprint arising from converting the feedstock to product, use life and ultimate disposal) [4]. It does not address the end-of-life of the product and they are not necessarily biodegradable or compostable. Biodegradable/compostable plastics – these are plastics designed to be completely biodegradable in the targeted disposal environment (composting, soil, marine, anaerobic digestor) in a short defined time period – they are assimilated by microorganisms present in the disposal environment as food to drive their life processes. They are not necessarily biobased and can be petro/fossil based. There are also additive based plastics - oxo and organic additives added at 1-2% levels to conventional polyethylenes (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and other plastics that are claimed to make them ‘biodegradable’. However, as discussed extensively in two articles in this magazine and in peer reviewed publications biodegradability claims needs to be substantiated by competent and reliable scientific evidence that microorganisms present in the disposal environment are utilizing the plastic carbon substrate in defined and measurable time period [5-6].

% C consumed by microorganisms (as measured by % evolved CO2) % biodegradability

Fig 1: Measuring Biodegradability

100

Need to show +90% biodegradability in 180 days or less to establish safe, efficacous, and complete removal from the environmental compartment

90 80

plateau phase

70 60 50 40 30

microbial assimilation phase

lag 10 phase 0

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 Time (days) Basis for ASTM D6400; ISO 14855; EN 13432

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

CO2

Compost & Test Materials

Politics

by Ramani Narayan University Distinguished Professor Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan, USA

Science of biodegradability Microorganisms utilize carbon substrates as ‘food’ to extract chemical energy for their life processes. They do so by transporting to the C-substrate inside their cells and: Under aerobic conditions, the carbon is biologically oxidized to CO2 releasing energy that is harnessed by the microorganisms for its life processes – Scheme 1 Under anaerobic conditions, CO2+CH4 are produced – Scheme 2 Thus, a measure of the rate and amount of CO2 or CO2+CH4 evolved as a function of total carbon input to the process is a direct measure of the amount of carbon substrate being utilized by the microorganism (percent biodegradation) (cf. Figure 1). This forms the basis for various national (ASTM, EN, OECD) and international (ISO) standards for measuring biodegradability or microbial utilization of chemicals, and biodegradable plastics. Therefore, claims of biodegradability must be substantiated by showing the percent carbon of the plastic substrate utilized by the microorganisms present in the target disposal environment (composting, soil, marine, anaerobic digestor, landfill) as measured by the evolved CO2 (aerobic) or CO2+CH4 (anaerobic) as a function of time in days (cf. Figure 1)

The FTC green guides defines “competent and reliable scientific evidence” as “tests, analyses, research, studies or other evidence based on the expertise of professionals in the relevant area, conducted and evaluated in an objective manner by persons qualified to do so, using procedures generally accepted in the profession to yield accurate and reliable results. The evidence “should be sufficient in quality and quantity based on standards generally accepted in the relevant scientific fields, when considered in light of the entire body of relevant and reliable scientific evidence, to substantiate that [a] representation is true” More importantly, the FTC goes on to say “To be certified, marketers must meet standards that have been developed and maintained by a voluntary consensus standard body (Voluntary consensus standard bodies are “organizations which plan, develop, establish, or coordinate voluntary consensus standards using agreed-upon procedures. An independent auditor applies these standards objectively)”. ASTM, EN, ISO are examples of voluntary consensus standard bodies. Given the above understanding, we can review the FTC guidance on making unqualified and qualified degradability and biodegradability claims. This includes oxo-degradable; oxo-biodegradable, photodegradable, and additive based biodegradability.

Scheme 1: biodegradation under aerobic conditions

Glucose/C-bioplastic + 6 O2

6 CO2

+ 6 H2O;

G0‘ = -686 kcal/mol

Scheme 2: biodegradation under anaerobic conditions

Glucose/C-bioplastic

2 lactate;

G0‘ = -47 kcal/mol CO2

+ CH4

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Politics Degradable and biodegradable claims The FTC guides state that an “unqualified degradable claim for items entering the solid waste stream should be substantiated with competent and reliable scientific evidence that the entire item will fully decompose (break down and return to nature; i.e. decompose into elements found in nature) within one year after customary disposal”. It also emphasizes that unqualified degradable/biodegradable claims for items that are customarily disposed in landfills, incinerators, and recycling facilities are deceptive because these locations do not present conditions in which complete decomposition will occur within one year. The term fully decompose into elements found in nature equates to the complete abiotic and biotic breakdown of the plastic to CO2, water, and cell biomass. This is discussed in detail earlier in the section on ‘Science of biodegradability’. Degradable claims can be made if it is qualified clearly and prominently to the extent necessary to avoid deception about: The product’s or package’s ability to degrade in the environment where it is customarily disposed and more importantly the rate and extent of degradation or biodegradation. In the case of biodegradability claims, one has to provide ‘reliable and competent evidence’ of the rate and extent of biodegradation in the target disposal environment – a graphical plot of percent biodegradability as measured by the evolved CO2 (aerobic) or CO2+CH4 (anaerobic) vs time in days. The FTC guides do not identify any specific testing protocol or specification and therefore reserve the right to evaluate the data which forms the basis of the claims. However, they clearly require that the evidence should be based on standards generally accepted in the relevant scientific fields. So ASTM, EN, ISO standards can be used to provide the evidence for validating the rate and extent of biodegradation in the selected disposal environment/s

Compostable Claims FTC guides states that “A marketer claiming that an item is compostable should have competent and reliable scientific evidence that all the materials in the item will break down into, or otherwise become part of, usable compost (e.g., soilconditioning material, mulch) in a safe and timely manner (i.e., in approximately the same time as the materials with which it is composted) in an appropriate composting facility, or in a home compost pile or device”.

Based on this guidance, a claim of compostability in commercial and municipal composting can be made if the product satisfies the requirements of Specification Standards ASTM D6400, or EN 13432, or ISO 14855 as determined by an approved, independent third-party laboratory – satisfies the FTC requirements of competent and reliable scientific evidence based on standards generally accepted in the scientific field. However, the FTC green guide requires an additional statement that states “Appropriate facilities may not exist in your area” or words to that effect to avoid deception as the local area may not have commercial or municipal composting operations. It may also be useful to provide information on how to find a composter in the area. In the USA, an independent, qualified third party, NSF International, certifies products as compostable in commercial and municipal facilities based on ASTM standard D6400 – as discussed earlier this is in compliance with the FTC green guides - independent certifier using voluntary consensus standards from ASTM. However, third-party certification does not eliminate a marketer’s obligation to ensure that it has substantiation for all claims reasonably communicated by the certification. There is a provision in the FTC green guides to make unqualified general compostability claim if the product can be converted safely to usable compost in a timely manner in a home compost pile or device. However, there are no standards or guidance on what constitutes a home compost pile – it could be a rotting pile in the garden, or a poorly managed home compost pile that turns anaerobic. So it is unclear as to how one can provide substantiation for compostability claim in a home compost pile or device.

Renewable Materials, biobased materials, biobased content FTC guidance is that unqualified renewable materials claims are deceptive because consumers are likely to interpret the claim to mean recycled content, recyclable, and biodegradable. It is possible to make qualified renewable materials claims like “the package is made from 100% plant based renewable materials in which the rate and time scales of use is in balance with the rate and time scales of growth. The FTC did not issue any guidance on biobased claims and deferred to the USDA to ensure accurate communication of information to consumers on products USDA certifies as ‘biobased’ ASTM D6866 forms the basis for measuring and reporting biobased content.

References 1. Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 197 / 2012 / Rules and Regulations; FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION 16 CFR Part 260 Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims 2. www.ftc.gov/os/2012/10/greenguides.pdf 3. www.ftc.gov/os/fedreg/2012/10/greenguidesstatement.pdf 4. Ramani Narayan, Carbon footprint of bioplastics using biocarbon content analysis and life cycle assessment, MRS (Materials Research Society) Bulletin, Vol 36 Issue 09, pg. 716 – 721, 2011 5. bioplastics MAGAZINE (01/09) vol 4; http://www.bioplasticsmagazine.com/bioplasticsmagazinewAssets/docs/article/0901_p29_bioplasticsMAGAZINE.pdf 6. bioplastics MAGAZINE (01/10), vol 5 http://www.bioplasticsmagazine.com/bioplasticsmagazinewAssets/docs/article/1001_p38_bioplasticsMAGAZINE.pdf 40

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Opinion

Compostable Bioplastics Packaging in Germany Some thoughts and considerations about the change in the legal framework conditions by Michael Thielen

ioplastics packaging has enjoyed a remarkable legal privilege in Germany since 2005, if certified compostable. Such packaging was exempted from the obligations defined in the German Packaging Ordinance concerning take back and recovery – resulting in a considerable waiving of the usual plastics recovery fee in the range of approx. 650,- €/t, which is to be paid for traditional plastics packaging. This legal privilege, intended by the government as a support for the early phase of market introduction, will end December 31st, 2012. From 2013 on, also bioplastics packaging needs to be licenced in one of the so-called ‘Dual Systems’ in Germany. Clearer than before, it will be steered through the yellow collection system and be sorted and recovered in the plastics waste stream. For the time being, bioplastics packaging will not be accepted in the biowaste collection for composting any more, even if certified compostable. The reason for this arrangement is, that lately the biowaste ordinance has been changed in May 2012.

Reichtstag Berlin (Photo iStockphoto)

While the revised Biowaste Ordinance, on the one hand, reduced necessary biobased content for bioplastics to enter the municipal biowaste collection system from 100% to ‘a mimimum threshold of 50 %’, it has, on the other hand, narrowed down the list of eligible applications to mulch film and biowaste liners (biowaste collection bags), only – by ruling out ‘packaging made from bioplastics’ explicitly from the list of allowed materials. Compostable shopping bags might be an exemption from this: although defined as a packaging under German law, it is not yet ultimatively clear if such bags also fall within this regulation. After all, one could argue that their actual deployment during their end-of-life phase can be similar to that of a dedicated biowaste collection bag – provided that the consumer is aware that compostable shopping bags can be used for biowaste collection. At first glance, this change of regulation may be perceived as a significant blow against compostable packaging and its market penetration in Germany. But before drawing conclusions from this, one should first have a look at the facts.

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Opinion

from left: Biowaste bin (may be green in some areas), yellow bin for Dual Systems collection, residual waste bin, blue paper bin (in some areas) (picture fotalia)

The facts are: Compostable plastics packaging never really achieved a significant market in Germany – despite government support for nearly a decade. The exemption from the mandatory licence fee of the ‘dual systems’ in Germany had limited effect due to the very price sensitive German markets – bioplastics packaging suffered from it’s just too high prices – and in some cases also due to technical limitations. The German composting industry always had concerns over compostable plastics, which have not been addressed actively enough by the bioplastics industry. The efforts of the bioplastics industry to convince the composters of the advantages of compostable plastics, e.g. with local demonstration projects, may have been successful in single cases, but have failed, as a whole, to convince the composting industry and their political representation so far. Presumably, the most important reason for the lack of dynamic market development for compostable plastics is the political and public shift concerning waste issues. The push towards compostable plastics in Germany started in the 1990s, when landfills where overflowing and plastics waste was seen as a dangerous nuisance because of its durability. Today, after 20 years of legislation, Germany boasts one of the highest recycling rates for plastics packaging, and landfilling has been completely phased out. So the real issue is not whether to compost or to incinerate bioplastic packaging, but to properly sort and recover it, so to achieve a substantial contribution to valorisation of wastes and thus increase resource efficiency.

of compostable catering serviceware at large events, as long as these are properly and separately collected together with food residues. And there are certainly more examples. Here the compostability of plastic products exhibits significant added value. These solutions, together with biowaste bags, help to divert biowaste from landfill sites. Thus, even though landfill is not a critical topic in Germany any longer, the ban is a wrong signal to other countries where landfill is still used with biowaste causing a potential methane problem. In conclusion, the recovery of these materials through the packaging waste collection system (yellow bin) seems the most adequate recovery route. Implementing (real!) material recycling is, according to all known life cycle assessments, the most preferable option in terms of ecology, and, often enough, quite promising also in economic terms All trends, as well as the legal framework and the political landscape, show that Germany, with its highly environmentconscious consumers and politicians, has a high potential to become a large market for bioplastics. But it seems the industry will only succeed if it offers solutions that fit local circumstances and meets the demands of all involved stakeholders.

Even though organic recovery of compostable packaging did not seem really viable in Germany any longer, a ban of all non-biowaste-bag-products from the biowaste collection system does not seem the best solution. The significant advantage of compostable packaging, for example in the case of the disposal of spoiled fruit and vegetables at the point of sale, is completely lost. The same is true for the disposal

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Basics

Blown film extrusion by Michael Thielen

Fig 3: Multilayer Blown film line (Photo: Reifenh채user)

lown film extrusion is a technology that is one of the most common methods of manufacturing plastic films, especially for, but not limited to, packaging applications. The process basically consists of the extrusion of a molten polymer upwards through an annular slit die and the inflation of the tube to form a bubble. This bubble of thin film is then laid flat and can be used directly as a tube, converted into bags or sacks, or can be slit to form one or two flat films. It is not unusual to see this type of film blowing installation as a 10 metre high tower [1, 2, 3, 4].

Process In the first step of blown film extrusion plastic melt is extruded {1 in Fig. 1} through an annular slit die {2}, usually vertically upwards, to form a thin walled tube. Air is introduced via a hole in the die to inflate the tube to a multiple of its initial diameter {3}. By inflating the tube it is stretched and the molecules are oriented in the circumferential direction.

Fig 1: schematic of a blown film line (here multilayer coextrusion) (Picture Reifenh채user)

12 7 USION

KIEFEL EXTR

9 11 10 8 3 4 2 1a 1 ION W-P

EVOLUT

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

The bubble is now pulled continually upwards from the die and a cooling ring {4} blows air onto the film. At a certain level (the so-called frost-line), the plastic is cooled such that the melt will solidify. The film moves upwards into a lay-flat device or collapsing frame {5}, pulled by a set of nip rollers {6} on top of the blown film tower. The lay-flat device (often also referred to as A-frame or V-boards) collapses the bubble and flattens it into two flat film layers {7}. A so-called calibration cage (or basket) {8}, which defines and stabilizes the film size (bubble diameter), is arranged between the die and the lay-flat device. The calibration cage thus has a direct influence on the film quality [5]. The haul-off speed of the puller rolls is usually higher than the extrusion speed so that the film is also stretched in the longitudinal (or machine) direction. Together with the inflation stretch this leads to a certain biaxial stretching of the film. The film passes through idler rolls {9} to ensure that there is uniform tension in the film. The puller rolls pull the film onto windup rollers {10}. There can be one windup roller if the film is wound up as a tube or slit only once to become a wide flat film. If the film is slit at both sides, two windup rollers are used for two flat films.

Basics Fig 2: oscillating turner bar haul-offs (Picture: General Extrusion Technology [6])

Some special devices Internal bubble cooling (IBC) Usually the air entering the bubble through the die replaces air leaving it, so that an even and constant pressure is maintained to ensure uniform thickness of the film. For better controlling the process in terms of cooling and thus wall thickness the film can also be cooled from the inside using internal bubble cooling (IBC). Here a higher flow of air is introduced into the film and exhausted through a separate bore in the die. This reduces the temperature inside the bubble, while maintaining the bubble diameter. Wall thickness control Circumferential stretching by inflating, longitudinal stretching by haul-off speed in combination with cooling air, lead to a certain wall thickness (gauge) of the film. In order to perfectly control the thickness of the film over its length and over its circumference, a contacting or contactfree oscillating wall thickness measuring sensor {11} can be installed. Turner bar haul-offs Even with the best wall thickness control devices, and sophisticated extrusion equipment, it cannot be avoided, that certain locations in the circumference of the film tube have slightly different wall thicknesses. If a small zone of a higher wall thickness remains at the same location it will inevitably lead to an accumulation on the final roll and create a problem. To avoid this, the ‘thick spot’ should somehow rotate in order to be evenly distributed on the reel. Solutions are rotating or oscillating extrusion dies or even complete extruder platforms. Other solutions are rotating or oscillating turner bar haul-offs {Fig 2 and 12 in Fig. 1}. Multilayer coextrusion By installing several extruders {Fig. 3 and 1a in Fig. 1} for different types of plastic, multi-layer film can be produced. The orifices in the die are arranged such that the layers merge together before cooling. Each plastic takes on a specific role, such as firmness, a barrier function, the ability to be welded etc. Co-extrusion lines with up to 9 layers are available today.

Materials Polyethylene (HDPE, LDPE and LLDPE) are the most common resins in use, but a wide variety of other materials can be used as blends with these resins or as single layers in a multi-layer film structure, for example PP, PA, EVOH. Bioplastics that can be blown film extruded include PLA and PLA blends, TPS and TPS blends, PBAT, PBS and many more. Most of these can be processed on existing equipment, however, the process parameters such as temperature and extrusion speed have to be adjusted accordingly. The processing of biobased polymers compared with petroleum-based products requires special attention during the production. The raw materials are partly or mostly made of natural products and have a higher volatility in terms of melt index and in the range of the density. This has to be compensated by a modern extrusion technology [8].

Applications Products made from blown film are, for example, agricultural film, industry packaging, consumer packaging, rubbish sacks and bags for biological waste, hygienic foil for nappies, mailing pouches, disposable gloves and shopping bags, food wrap, transport packaging, shrink film, stretch film, bags, laminating film, and much more. References [1] Thielen, M.: Bioplastics: Basics. Applications. Markets., Polymedia Publisher, 2012 [2] N.N.: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastics_extrusion#Blown_film_ extrusion, accessed 14 Nov. 2012 [3] N.N.: www.appropedia.org/Blown_film_extrusion, accessed 14 Nov. 2012 [3] N.N.: http://plastics.inwiki.org/Blown_film_extrusion, accessed 14 Nov. 2012 [5] N.N.: http://www.igus.it/wpck/default.aspx?Pagename=app_ blownfilmline&C=IT&L=it, accessed 14 Nov. 2012 [6] N.N. (General Extrusion Technology Ltd): http://www.getextrusion.com, accessed 14 Nov. 2012 [7] Wiechmann R.: personal information, Reifenhäuser GmbH & Co. KG Maschinenfabrik, Troisdorf, Germany, 2012 [8] Buth, K.: personal information, Wentus Kunststoff GmbH, Höxter, Germany, 2012

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Basics

Glossary 3.1

updated

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. Since this Glossary will not be printed in each issue you can download a pdf version from our website bioplastics MAGAZINE is grateful to European Bioplastics for the permission to use parts of their Glossary (see [1]) 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)

Bioplastics (as defined by European Bioplastics e.V.) is a term used to define two different kinds of plastics: a. Plastics based on → renewable resources (the focus is the origin of the raw material used). These can be biodegradable or not. b. → 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. Aerobic - anaerobic | aerobic = in the presence of oxygen (e.g. in composting) | anaerobic = without oxygen being present (e.g. in biogasification, anaerobic digestion) [bM 06/09]

Anaerobic digestion | conversion of organic waste into bio-gas. Other than in → composting in anaerobic degradation there is no oxygen present. In bio-gas plants for example, this type of degradation leads to the production of methane that can be captured in a controlled way and used for energy generation. [14] [bM 06/09] Amorphous | non-crystalline, glassy with unordered lattice Amylopectin | Polymeric branched starch molecule with very high molecular weight (biopolymer, monomer is → Glucose) [bM 05/09]

Amylose | Polymeric non-branched starch molecule with high molecular weight (biopolymer, monomer is → Glucose) [bM 05/09] Biobased plastic/polymer | A plastic/polymer in which constitutional units are totally or in part from → biomass [3]. If this claim is used, a percentage should always be given to which extent the product/material is → biobased [1] [bM 01/07, bM 03/10]

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Biobased | The term biobased describes the part of a material or product that is stemming from → biomass. When making a biobasedclaim, the unit (→ biobased carbon content, → biobased mass content), a percentage and the measuring method should be clearly stated [1] Biobased carbon | carbon contained in or stemming from → biomass. A material or product made of fossil and → renewable resources contains fossil and → biobased carbon. The 14C method [4, 5] measures the amount of biobased carbon in the material or product as fraction weight (mass) or percent weight (mass) of the total organic carbon content [1] [6] Biobased mass content | describes the amount of biobased mass contained in a material or product. This method is complementary to the 14C method, and furthermore, takes other chemical elements besides the biobased carbon into account, such as oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen. A measuring method is currently being developed and tested by the Association Chimie du Végétal (ACDV) [1] Biodegradable Plastics | Biodegradable Plastics are plastics that are completely assimilated by the → 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. The process of biodegradation depends on the environmental conditions, which influence it (e.g. location, temperature, humidity) and on the material or application itself. Consequently, the process and its outcome can vary considerably. Biodegradability is linked to the structure of the polymer chain; it does not depend on the origin of the raw materials. There is currently no single, overarching standard to back up claims about biodegradability. As the sole claim of biodegradability without any additional specifications is vague, it should not be used in communications. If it is used, additional surveys/tests (e.g. timeframe or environment (soil, sea)) should be added to substantiate this claim [1]. One standard for example is ISO or in Europe: EN 14995 Plastics- Evaluation of compostability - Test scheme and specifications [bM 02/06, bM 01/07]

Biomass | Material of biological origin excluding material embedded in geological formations and material transformed to fossilised material. This includes organic material, e.g. trees, crops, grasses, tree litter, algae and waste of biological origin, e.g. manure [1, 2] Blend | Mixture of plastics, polymer alloy of at least two microscopically dispersed and molecularly distributed base polymers Bisphenol-A (BPA) | Monomer used to produce different polymers. BPA is said to cause health problems, due to the fact that is behaves like a hormone. Therefore it is banned for use in children’s products in many countries. BPI | Biodegradable Products Institute, a notfor-profit association. Through their innovative compostable label program, BPI educates manufacturers, legislators and consumers about the importance of scientifically based standards for compostable materials which biodegrade in large composting facilities. Carbon footprint | (CFPs resp. PCFs – Product Carbon Footprint): Sum of → greenhouse gas emissions and removals in a product system, expressed as CO2 equivalent, and based on a → life cycle assessment. The CO2 equivalent of a specific amount of a greenhouse gas is calculated as the mass of a given greenhouse gas multiplied by its → global warmingpotential [1, 2] Carbon neutral, CO2 neutral | Carbon neutral describes a product or 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. Carbon neutrality can also be achieved through buying sufficient carbon credits to make up the difference. The latter option is not allowed when communicating → LCAs or carbon footprints regarding a material or product [1, 2]. Carbon-neutral claims are tricky as products will not in most cases reach carbon neutrality if their complete life cycle is taken into consideration (including the end-of life). If an assessment of a material, however, is conducted (cradle to gate), carbon neutrality might be a valid claim in a B2B context. In this case, the unit assessed in the complete life cycle has to be clarified [1] Catalyst | substance that enables and accelerates a chemical reaction Cellophane | Clear film on the basis of → cellulose [bM 01/10] Cellulose | Cellulose is the principal component of cell walls in all higher forms of plant life, at varying percentages. It is therefore the most common organic compound and also the most common polysaccharide (multisugar) [11]. C. is a polymeric molecule with very high molecular weight (monomer is → Glucose), industrial production from wood or cotton, to manufacture paper, plastics and fibres [bM 01/10] Cellulose ester| Cellulose esters occur by the esterification of cellulose with organic acids. The most important cellulose esters from a technical point of view are cellulose acetate

Basics (CA with acetic acid), cellulose propionate (CP with propionic acid) and cellulose butyrate (CB with butanoic acid). Mixed polymerisates, such as cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) can also be formed. One of the most well-known applications of cellulose aceto butyrate (CAB) is the moulded handle on the Swiss army knife [11] Cellulose acetate CA| → Cellulose ester CEN | Comité Européen de Normalisation (European organisation for standardization) Compost | A soil conditioning material of decomposing organic matter which provides nutrients and enhances soil structure. [bM 06/08, 02/09]

Compostable Plastics | Plastics that are → biodegradable under ‘composting’ conditions: specified humidity, temperature, → microorganisms and timefame. In order to make accurate and specific claims about compostability, the location (home, → industrial) and timeframe need to be specified [1]. Several national and international standards exist for clearer definitions, for example EN 14995 Plastics - Evaluation of compostability Test scheme and specifications. [bM 02/06, bM 01/07] Composting | A solid waste management technique that uses natural process to convert organic materials to CO2, water and humus through the action of → microorganisms. When talking about composting of bioplastics, usually → industrial composting in a managed composting plant is meant [bM 03/07] Compound | plastic mixture from different raw materials (polymer and additives) [bM 04/10) Copolymer | Plastic composed of different monomers. Cradle-to-Gate | Describes the system boundaries of an environmental →Life 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 →LCA studies. Cradle-to-Grave | Describes the system boundaries of a full →Life Cycle Assessment from manufacture (‘cradle’) to use phase and disposal phase (‘grave’). Crystalline | Plastic with regularly arranged molecules in a lattice structure Density | Quotient from mass and volume of a material, also referred to as specific weight DIN | Deutsches Institut für Normung (German organisation for standardization) DIN-CERTCO | independant certifying organisation for the assessment on the conformity of bioplastics Dispersing | fine distribution of non-miscible liquids into a homogeneous, stable mixture Elastomers | rigid, but under force flexible and elastically formable plastics with rubbery properties EN 13432 | European standard for the assessment of the → compostability of plastic packaging products

Energy recovery | recovery and exploitation of the energy potential in (plastic) waste for the production of electricity or heat in waste incineration pants (waste-to-energy)

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

Enzymes | proteins that catalyze chemical reactions

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

Ethylen | colour- and odourless gas, made e.g. from, Naphtha (petroleum) by cracking, monomer of the polymer polyethylene (PE) European Bioplastics e.V. | The industry association representing the interests of Europe’s thriving bioplastics’ industry. Founded in Germany in 1993 as IBAW, European Bioplastics today represents the interests of over 70 member companies throughout the European Union. With members from the agricultural feedstock, chemical and plastics industries, as well as industrial users and recycling companies, European Bioplastics serves as both a contact platform and catalyst for advancing the aims of the growing bioplastics industry. Extrusion | process used to create plastic profiles (or sheet) of a fixed cross-section consisting of mixing, melting, homogenising and shaping of the plastic. Fermentation | Biochemical reactions controlled by → microorganisms or → enyzmes (e.g. the transformation of sugar into lactic acid). FSC | Forest Stewardship Council. FSC is an independent, non-governmental, not-forprofit organization established to promote the responsible and sustainable management of the world’s forests. Gelatine | Translucent brittle solid substance, colorless or slightly yellow, nearly tasteless and odorless, extracted from the collagen inside animals‘ connective tissue. Genetically modified organism (GMO) | Organisms, such as plants and animals, whose genetic material (DNA) has been altered are called genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Food and feed which contain or consist of such GMOs, or are produced from GMOs, are called genetically modified (GM) food or feed [1] Global Warming | Global warming is the rise in the average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans since the late 19th century and its projected continuation [8]. Global warming is said to be accelerated by → green house gases. 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. Greenhouse gas GHG | Gaseous constituent of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorbs and emits radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of infrared radiation emitted by the earth’s surface, the atmosphere, and clouds [1, 9] Greenwashing | The act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company, or the environmental benefits of a product or service [1, 10] Granulate, granules | small plastic particles (3-4 millimetres), a form in which plastic is sold and fed into machines, easy to handle and dose.

Hydrophobic | Property: ‘water-resistant’, not soluble in water (e.g. a plastic which is water resistant and weather proof, or that does not absorb any water such as Polyethylene (PE) or Polypropylene (PP). IBAW | → European Bioplastics Industrial composting | Industrial composting is an established process with commonly agreed upon requirements (e.g. temperature, timeframe) for transforming biodegradable waste into stable, sanitised products to be used in agriculture. The criteria for industrial compostability of packaging have been defined in the EN 13432. Materials and products complying with this standard can be certified and subsequently labelled accordingly [1, 7] [bM 06/08, bM 02/09]

Integral Foam | foam with a compact skin and porous core and a transition zone in between. ISO | International Organization for Standardization JBPA | Japan Bioplastics Association LCA | Life Cycle Assessment (sometimes also referred to as life cycle analysis, ecobalance, and → cradle-to-grave analysis) is the investigation and valuation of the environmental impacts of a given product or service caused. [bM 01/09]

Microorganism | Living organisms of microscopic size, such as bacteria, funghi or yeast. Molecule | group of at least two atoms held together by covalent chemical bonds. Monomer | molecules that are linked by polymerization to form chains of molecules and then plastics Mulch film | Foil to cover bottom of farmland PBAT | Polybutylene adipate terephthalate, is an aliphatic-aromatic copolyester that has the properties of conventional polyethylene but is fully biodegradable under industrial composting. PBAT is made from fossil petroleum with first attempts being made to produce it partly from renewable resources [bM 06/09] PBS | Polybutylene succinate, a 100% biodegradable polymer, made from (e.g. bio-BDO) and succinic acid, which can also be produced biobased [bM 03/12]. PC | Polycarbonate, thermoplastic polyester, petroleum based, used for e.g. baby bottles or CDs. Criticized for its BPA (→ Bisphenol-A) content. PCL | Polycaprolactone, a synthetic (fossil based), biodegradable bioplastic, e.g. used as a blend component. PE | Polyethylene, thermoplastic polymerised from ethylene. Can be made from renewable resources (sugar cane via bio-ethanol) [bM 05/10]

PET | Polyethylenterephthalate, transparent polyester used for bottles and film

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

PGA | Polyglycolic acid or Polyglycolide is a biodegradable, thermoplastic polymer and the simplest linear, aliphatic polyester. Besides ist use in the biomedical field, PGA has been introduced as a barrier resin [bM 03/09] PHA | Polyhydroxyalkanoates are linear polyesters produced in nature by bacterial fermentation of sugar or lipids. The most common type of PHA is → PHB. PHB | Polyhydroxybutyrate (better poly-3-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. PHBH | Polyhydroxy butyrate hexanoate (better poly 3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) is a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), Like other biopolymers from the family of the polyhydroxyalkanoates PHBH is produced by microorganisms in the fermentation process, where it is accumulated in the microorganism’s body for nutrition. The main features of PHBH are its excellent biodegradability, combined with a high degree of hydrolysis and heat stability. [bM 03/09, 01/10, 03/11] PLA | Polylactide or Polylactic Acid (PLA), a biodegradable, thermoplastic, linear aliphatic polyester based on lactic acid, a natural acid, is mainly produced by fermentation of sugar or starch with the help of micro-organisms. Lactic acid comes in two isomer forms, i.e. as laevorotatory D(-)lactic acid and as dextrorotary L(+)lactic acid. In each case two lactic acid molecules form a circular lactide molecule which, depending on its composition, can be a D-D-lactide, an L-L-lactide or a meso-lactide (having one D and one L molecule). The chemist makes use of this variability. During polymerisation the chemist combines the lactides such that the PLA plastic obtained has the characteristics that he desires. The purity of the infeed material is an important factor in successful polymerisation and thus for the economic success of the process, because so far the cleaning of the lactic acid produced by the fermentation has been relatively costly [12]. Modified PLA types can be produced by the use of the right additives or by a combinations of L- and D- lactides (stereocomplexing), which then have the required rigidity for use at higher temperatures [13] [bM 01/09] Plastics | Materials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions. PPC | Polypropylene Carbonate, a bioplastic made by copolymerizing CO2 with propylene oxide (PO) [bM 04/12] Renewable Resources | agricultural raw materials, which are not used as food or feed, but as raw material for industrial products or to generate energy Saccharins or carbohydrates | Saccharins or carbohydrates are name for the sugar-family. Saccharins are monomer or polymer sugar

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

units. For example, there are known mono-, di- and polysaccharose. → glucose is a monosaccarin. They are important for the diet and produced biology in plants. Semi-finished products | plastic in form of sheet, film, rods or the like to be further processed into finshed products 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 → amylose and → 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 → amylose and → amylopectin known. [bM 05/09] Starch derivate | Starch derivates are based on the chemical structure of → starch. The chemical structure can be changed by introducing new functional groups without changing the → 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 → starch with propane or butanic acid. The product structure is still based on → starch. Every based → glucose fragment is connected with a propionate or butyrate ester group. The product is more hydrophobic than → 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). Thermoplastic Starch | (TPS) → starch that was modified (cooked, complexed) to make it a plastic resin Thermoset | Plastics (resins) which do not soften or melt when heated. Examples are epoxy resins or unsaturated polyester resins. Vinçotte | independant certifying organisation for the assessment on the conformity of bioplastics WPC | Wood Plastic Composite. Composite materials made of wood fiber/flour and plastics (mostly polypropylene). Yard Waste | Grass clippings, leaves, trimmings, garden residue.

References: [1] Environmental Communication Guide, European Bioplastics, Berlin, Germany, 2012 [2] ISO 14067. Carbon footprint of products Requirements and guidelines for quantification and communication [3] CEN TR 15932, Plastics - Recommendation for terminology and characterisation of biopolymers and bioplastics, 2010 [4] CEN/TS 16137, Plastics - Determination of bio-based carbon content, 2011 [5] ASTM D6866, Standard Test Methods for Determining the Biobased Content of Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples Using Radiocarbon Analysis [6] SPI: Understanding Biobased Carbon Content, 2012 [7] EN 13432, Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation. Test scheme and evaluation criteria for the final acceptance of packaging, 2000 [8] Wikipedia [9] ISO 14064 Greenhouse gases -- Part 1: Specification with guidance..., 2006 [10] Terrachoice, 2010, www.terrachoice.com [11] Thielen, M.: Bioplastics: Basics. Applications. Markets, Polymedia Publisher, 2012 [12] Lörcks, J.: Biokunststoffe, Broschüre der FNR, 2005 [13] de Vos, S.: Improving heat-resistance of PLA using poly(D-lactide), bioplastics MAGAZINE, Vol. 3, Issue 02/2008 [14] de Wilde, B.: Anaerobic Digestion, bioplastics MAGAZINE, Vol 4., Issue 06/2009

Events

Event Calendar

Subscribe now at bioplasticsmagazine.com the next six issues for €149.–1) Special offer for students and young professionals1,2) € 99.-

Inno BioPlast 2013

24.01.2013 - 26.01.2013 - Bangkok, Thailand Queen Sirikit National Convention Center www.nia.or.th/innobioplast.com

The 2013 Packaging Conference

2) aged 35 and below. Send a scan of your student card, your ID or similar proof ...

04.02.2013 - 06.02.2013 - Atlanta, Georgia, USA The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead www.thepackagingconference.com

BIO-raffiniert VII

20.02.2013 - 01.01.1970 - Oberhausen (Rhld.), Germany Fraunhofer UMSICHT www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de

Bioplastics - The Re-Innovation of Plastics 04.03.2013 - 06.03.2013 - Las Vegas, USA Cesar‘s Palace www.bioplastix.com

23. Stuttgarter Kunststoff-Kolloquium

06.03.2013 - 07.03.2013 - Stuttgart, Germany University of Stuttgart www.ikt.uni-stuttgart.de

BioKunststoffe 2013

06.03.2013 - 07.03.2013 - Duisburg, Germany Haus der Unternehmer www.hanser-tagungen.de/biokunststoffe

Green Polymer Chemistry 2013

19.03.2013 - 21.03.2013 - Dongguan, Guangdong Maritim Hotel www.amiplastics.com/events/Event.aspx?code=C499&sec=2855

Chinaplas 2013 – Asia’s Number one plastics and rubber trade fair 20.05.2013 - 23.05.2013 – Guangzhou, China www.chinaplasonline.com

K‘2013 - International Trade Fairs for Plastics and Rubber 16.10.2013 - 23.10.2013 – Düsseldorf, Germany www.k-online.de You can meet us! Please contact us in advance by e-mail.

Mention the promotion code ‘watch‘ or ‘book‘ and you will get our watch or the book3) Bioplastics Basics. Applications. Markets. for free 1) Offer valid until 28 Feb 2013 3) Gratis-Buch in Deutschland nicht möglich, no free book in Germany

Suppliers Guide 1. Raw Materials 10

Showa Denko Europe GmbH Konrad-Zuse-Platz 4 81829 Munich, Germany Tel.: +49 89 93996226 www.showa-denko.com support@sde.de

www.cereplast.com US: Tel: +1 310.615.1900 Fax +1 310.615.9800 Sales@cereplast.com Europe: Tel: +49 1763 2131899 weckey@cereplast.com

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

Simply contact:

Tel.: +49 2161 6884467

suppguide@bioplasticsmagazine.com 70

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.

For Example:

DuPont de Nemours International S.A. 2 chemin du Pavillon 1218 - Le Grand Saconnex Switzerland Tel.: +41 22 171 51 11 Fax: +41 22 580 22 45 plastics@dupont.com www.renewable.dupont.com www.plastics.dupont.com

Kingfa Sci. & Tech. Co., Ltd. No.33 Kefeng Rd, Sc. City, Guangzhou Hi-Tech Ind. Development Zone, Guangdong, P.R. China. 510663 Tel: +86 (0)20 6622 1696 info@ecopond.com.cn www.ecopond.com.cn FLEX-162 Biodeg. Blown Film Resin! Bio-873 4-Star Inj. Bio-Based Resin!

PolyOne Avenue Melville Wilson, 2 Zoning de la Fagne 5330 Assesse Belgium Tel.: + 32 83 660 211 www.polyone.com

100

120

130

39 mm

110

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

140

Sample Charge: 150

160

39mm x 6,00 € = 234,00 € per entry/per issue

Sample Charge for one year: 6 issues x 234,00 EUR = 1,404.00 €

170

180

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.

Jincheng, Lin‘an, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311300, P.R. China China contact: Grace Jin mobile: 0086 135 7578 9843 Grace@xinfupharm.com Europe contact(Belgium): Susan Zhang mobile: 0032 478 991619 zxh0612@hotmail.com www.xinfupharm.com 1.1 bio based monomers

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

190

200

210

1.2 compounds

220

230

240

250

www.facebook.com www.issuu.com

260

www.twitter.com 270

www.youtube.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

API S.p.A. Via Dante Alighieri, 27 36065 Mussolente (VI), Italy Telephone +39 0424 579711 www.apiplastic.com www.apinatbio.com

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

GRAFE-Group Waldecker Straße 21, 99444 Blankenhain, Germany Tel. +49 36459 45 0 www.grafe.com

Guangdong Shangjiu Biodegradable Plastics Co., Ltd. Shangjiu Environmental Protection Eco-Tech Industrial Park,Niushan, Dongcheng District, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, 523128 China Tel.: 0086-769-22114999 Fax: 0086-769-22103988 www.999sw.com www.999sw.net 999sw@163.com

WinGram Industry CO., LTD Benson Liu Great River(Qin Xin) Plastic Manufacturer CO.,LTD Mobile (China): +86-18666691720 Mobile (Hong Kong): +852-63078857 Fax: +852-3184 8934 Benson@greatriver.com.hk 1.3 PLA

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

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

BIOTEC Biologische Naturverpackungen Werner-Heisenberg-Strasse 32 46446 Emmerich/Germany Tel.: +49 - 2822 - 925110 info@biotec.de www.biotec.de

Suppliers Guide 1.6 masterbatches

3. Semi finished products 3.1 films

ROQUETTE Frères 62 136 LESTREM, FRANCE 00 33 (0) 3 21 63 36 00 www.gaialene.com www.roquette.com

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

PSM Bioplastic NA Chicago, USA www.psmna.com +1-630-393-0012 1.5 PHA

GRAFE-Group Waldecker Straße 21, 99444 Blankenhain, Germany Tel. +49 36459 45 0 www.grafe.com

PolyOne Avenue Melville Wilson, 2 Zoning de la Fagne 5330 Assesse Belgium Tel.: + 32 83 660 211 www.polyone.com

Arkema Inc. Functional Additives-Biostrength 900 First Avenue King of Prussia, PA/USA 19406 Contact: Connie Lo, Commercial Development Mgr. Tel: 610.878.6931 connie.lo@arkema.com www.impactmodifiers.com

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

GRAFE-Group Waldecker Straße 21, 99444 Blankenhain, Germany Tel. +49 36459 45 0 www.grafe.com

TianAn Biopolymer 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

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

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 31 705 011 Fax +385 31 705 012 info@ecocortec.hr www.ecocortec.hr

2. Additives/Secondary raw materials

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

Metabolix 650 Suffolk Street, Suite 100 Lowell, MA 01854 USA Tel. +1-97 85 13 18 00 Fax +1-97 85 13 18 86 www.mirelplastics.com

Huhtamaki Films Sonja Haug Zweibrückenstraße 15-25 91301 Forchheim Tel. +49-9191 81203 Fax +49-9191 811203 www.huhtamaki-films.com

INNOVIA FILMS LTD Wigton Cumbria CA7 9BG England Contact: Andy Sweetman Tel. +44 16973 41549 Fax +44 16973 41452 andy.sweetman@innoviafilms.com www.innoviafilms.com

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 esmy@minima-tech.com Skype esmy325 www.minima-tech.com

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

4. Bioplastics products The HallStar Company 120 S. Riverside Plaza, Ste. 1620 Chicago, IL 60606, USA +1 312 385 4494 dmarshall@hallstar.com www.hallstar.com/hallgreen

Rhein Chemie Rheinau GmbH Duesseldorfer Strasse 23-27 68219 Mannheim, Germany Phone: +49 (0)621-8907-233 Fax: +49 (0)621-8907-8233 bioadimide.eu@rheinchemie.com www.bioadimide.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

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

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Suppliers Guide 7. Plant engineering 10

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

Simply contact:

Tel.: +49 2161 6884467

6. Equipment 6.1 Machinery & Molds

suppguide@bioplasticsmagazine.com 70

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

Molds, Change Parts and Turnkey Solutions for the PET/Bioplastic For only 6,– EUR per mm, per issue you Container Industry can be present among top suppliers in 284 Pinebush Road the field of bioplastics. Cambridge Ontario Canada N1T 1Z6 For Example: Tel. +1 519 624 9720 Fax +1 519 624 9721 info@hallink.com www.hallink.com

100

120

130

39 mm

110

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

140

Sample Charge: 150

160

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

39mm x 6,00 € = 234,00 € per entry/per issue

Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH Holzhauser Strasse 157–159 D-13509 Berlin Tel. +49 30 43 567 5 Fax +49 30 43 567 699 sales.de@uhde-inventa-fischer.com Uhde Inventa-Fischer AG Via Innovativa 31 CH-7013 Domat/Ems Tel. +41 81 632 63 11 Fax +41 81 632 74 03 sales.ch@uhde-inventa-fischer.com www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com

180

10. Institutions 10.1 Associations

8. Ancillary equipment 9. Services

Osterfelder Str. 3 46047 Oberhausen Tel.: +49 (0)208 8598 1227 Fax: +49 (0)208 8598 1424 thomas.wodke@umsicht.fhg.de www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de

Institut für Kunststofftechnik Universität Stuttgart Böblinger Straße 70 70199 Stuttgart Tel +49 711/685-62814 Linda.Goebel@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de www.ikt.uni-stuttgart.de

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

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

10.2 Universities

Sample Charge for one year: 6 issues x 234,00 EUR = 1,404.00 €

170

UL International TTC GmbH Rheinuferstrasse 7-9, Geb. R33 47829 Krefeld-Uerdingen, Germany Tel: +49 (0)2151 88 3324 Fax: +49 (0)2151 88 5210 ttc@ul.com www.ulttc.com

The entry in our Suppliers Guide is bookable for one year (6 issues) and ProTec Polymer Processing GmbH extends automatically if it’s not canceled Stubenwald-Allee 9 three month before expiry.

64625 Bensheim, Deutschland Tel. +49 6251 77061 0 Fax +49 6251 77061 500 info@sp-protec.com www.sp-protec.com

190

narocon Dr. Harald Kaeb Tel.: +49 30-28096930 kaeb@narocon.de www.narocon.de

6.2 Laboratory Equipment

200

IfBB – Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hanover Faculty II – Mechanical and Bioprocess Engineering Heisterbergallee 12 30453 Hannover, Germany Tel.: +49 5 11 / 92 96 - 22 69 Fax: +49 5 11 / 92 96 - 99 - 22 69 lisa.mundzeck@fh-hannover.de http://www.ifbb-hannover.de/

210

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

220

230

240

250

www.facebook.com www.issuu.com

260

www.twitter.com 270

www.youtube.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

nova-Institut GmbH Chemiepark Knapsack Industriestrasse 300 50354 Huerth, Germany Tel.: +49(0)2233-48-14 40 E-Mail: contact@nova-institut.de

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

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

Bookstore Order now! www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/books phone +49 2161 6884463 e-mail books@bioplasticsmagazine.com * plus VAT (where applicable), plus cost for shipping/handling details see www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/books

Michael Thielen

Bioplastics - Basics. Applications. Markets.

General conditions, market situation, production, structure and properties New ‘basics‘ book on bioplastics: The book is intended to offer a rapid and uncomplicated introduction into the subject of bioplastics, and is aimed at all interested readers, in particular those who have not yet had the opportunity to dig deeply into the subject, such as students, those just joining this industry, and lay readers. r 5o * 0 8.6 € 1 $ 25.0 US

Author: Jan Th. J. Ravenstijn

Edited by Srikanth Pilla

(Special prices for research and non-profit organisations upon request)

Engineering Applications

The state of the art on Bioplastics

Handbook of Bioplastics and Biocomposites Engineering Applications

‘The state-of-the-art on Bioplastics 2010‘ describes the revolutionary growth of bio-based monomers, polymers, and plastics and changes in performance and variety for the entire global plastics m arket in the first decades of this century... 0* 0.0 ,50 rice € 1 uced p

00*

69.

€1

red

Hans-Josef Endres, Andrea Siebert-Raths

Engineering Biopolymers

Markets, Manufacturing, Properties and Applications Hans-Josef Endres, Andrea Siebert-Raths

Technische Biopolymere

Rahmenbedingungen, Marktsituation, Herstellung, Aufbau und Eigenschaften

44*

79,

€2

44*

The intention of this new book (2011), written by 40 scientists from industry and academia, is to explore the extensive applications made with bioplastics & biocomposites. The Handbook focuses on five main categories of applications packaging; civil engineering; biomedical; automotive; general engineering. It is structured in six parts and a total of 19 chapters. A comprehensive index allows the quick location of information the reader is looking for.

This book is unique in its focus on market-relevant bio/renewable materials. It is based on comprehensive research projects, during which these materials were systematically analyzed and characterized. For the first time the interested reader will find comparable data not only for biogenic polymers and biological macromolecules such as proteins, but also for engineering materials. The reader will also find valuable information regarding micro-structure, manufacturing, and processing-, application-, and recycling properties of biopolymers

79,

€2

Rainer Höfer (Editor)

Sustainable Solutions for Modern Economies Apocalypse now? Was the financial crisis which erupted in 2008 the ‘writing on the wall’, the Menetekel for the Industrial Age? Is mankind approaching the impasse of Easter Island, Anasazi and Maya societies shortly before collapse – ‘‘which followed swiftly upon the society’s reaching its peak of population, monument construction and environmental impact’’? Or will mankind be capable of a new global common sense?

9.0

€9

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

Companies in this issue Company

Editorial Advert

Company

A&O FilmPAC

Goodyear

Alesco

Grabio Greentech

Amcor Flexibles

API 33

BASF

21, 51

7, 11

Bayer Material Science

Biotec

BMELV

6, 10, 13

Greenpeace

Company

Precision Color Graphics

President Packaging

ProTec Polymer Processing

Guangdong Shangjiu

PSM

Hallink

Purac

Reifenhäuser

Rhein Chemie

Huhtamaki Films

IBM Corporation

Innovia Films

Roquette

12, 14

RWE

RWTH Aachen

Institut for bioplastics & biocomposites (IfBB)

29, 50 31, 51

Roll-o-Matic

52 15, 33

BVSE

Institut für Kunststofftechnik

Californians Agains Waste

Jouets Petitcollin

Cardia Bioplastics

Kingfa

Shenzhen Esun Industrial Co.

Cardinal Pet Care

Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients

Showa Denko

Saida

Cereplast

M+N Projecten

Sidaplax

Cortec

McCullagh Coffee

Smithers-Rapra

51 8

CSM

Meredian

Sphere

Deutsche Umwelthilfe DUH

Merquinsa

Steve’s Real Pet Food

DIN CERTCO

Metabolix

Taghleef Industries

DSM

Michigan State University

TAKATA

Technical University Eindhoven

DuPont

Minima Technology

Eagle Flexible Packaging

narocon

Ecocare Natural

NatureWorks

Elise

Natur-Tec

Eneco

Neste Oil

European Bioplastics

10, 14

Tuffy’s Pet Food 50

Nike

European Plastics News

NNFCC

Federal Trade Commission FTC

nova-Institut

FKuR

FNR

6, 13

Ford Four Motors

11 28

University of Wolverhampton

6, 52

Vilac

51, 56

Virdia

10 5, 11

OKW Gehäusesysteme

Wei Mon

Pistol & Burnes

Wentus Kunststoff

Plastic Suppliers

Editorial Planner

25, 52

University of Warwick

plasticker

General Extrusion Technology

Uhde Inventa-Fischer University Hamburg

8, 33

Novamont

51 32

UL Thermoplastics

NIA (InnoBioPlast)

2, 50

TianAn Biopolymer

European Commission

Fraunhofer UMSICHT

WinGram

WRAP

polymediaconsult

41, 52 45 50 29

Xinfu Pharm

2013

Issue

Month

Publ.-Date

edit/ad/ Deadline

Editorial Focus (1)

Editorial Focus (2)

Basics

01/2013

Jan/Feb

04.02.13

21.12.12

Automotive

Foams

PTT

02/2013

Mar/Apr

01.04.13

01.03.13

Rigid Packaging

Material combinations

Bio-Refinery

Chinaplas Preview

03/2013

May/Jun

03.06.13

03.05.13

Injection moulding

PLA Recycling

succinic acid

Chinaplas Review

04/2013

Jul/Aug

05.08.13

05.07.13

Bottles / Blow Moulding

Bioplastics in Building & Construction

Land use for bioplastics (update)

05/2013

Sept/Oct

01.10.13

01.09.13

Fiber / Textile / Nonwoven

Designer‘s Requirements for Bioplastics

biobased (12C / 14C vs. Biomass)

K'2013 Preview

06/2013

Nov/Dec

02.12.13

02.11.13

Films / Flexibles / Bags

Consumer Electronics

Eutrophication (t.b.c)

K'2013 Review

Subject to changes

www.bioplasticsmagazine.com

Editorial Advert

PolyOne

Hallstar 50

BPI Braskem

Grafe 50

Arkema

Editorial Advert

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7

www.twitter.com/bioplasticsmag

Be our friend on Facebook!

www.facebook.com/bioplasticsmagazine

Fair Specials

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®. Mater-Bi® is a family of materials, completely biodegradable and compostable which contain renewable raw materials such as starch and vegetable oil derivates. Mater-Bi® 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.

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

Inventor of the year 2007

Within Mater-Bi® product range the following certifications are available

The “OK Compost” certificate guarantees conformity with the NF EN 13432 standard (biodegradable and compostable packaging) 3_2012