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ioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 12<br />
ISSN 1862-5258<br />
Nov/Dec<br />
<strong>06</strong> | <strong>2017</strong><br />
Highlights<br />
Films / Flexibles / Bags | 12<br />
Polyurethanes / Elastomers | 14<br />
Basics<br />
Blown Film Extrusion | 48<br />
ITALY / FRANCE-<br />
Special<br />
... is read in 92 countries
BIO-FLEX<br />
NEXT GENERATION<br />
✓ 40 % bio-based<br />
✓ Home compostable<br />
✓ Outstanding contact transparency<br />
✓ Meets the requirements of the<br />
French Energy Transmission Law
Editorial<br />
dear<br />
readers<br />
Films, Flexibles, Bags is traditionally the first highlight topic of every December issue of<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE. While it is one that, in the past, has always proven to be among the<br />
most popular, this year apparently there was surprisingly little news to report. Fortunately,<br />
this was more than made up for by the unexpected outpour of<br />
contributions we received on the topic Polyurethanes/Elastomers<br />
and related building blocks, which will bring our readers up to date<br />
on the latest developments in this area.<br />
Then, for those of you, who missed it… On page 10 we present this<br />
year’s winner of the Global Bioplastics Award.<br />
As always, we’ve rounded up some of the most recent news<br />
items on materials and applications to keep you abreast of the<br />
latest innovations and ongoing advances in the world of bioplastics.<br />
Lastly, I’d like to remind you of the 5th PLA World Congress in<br />
Munich/Germany next May – the call for papers is still open. If<br />
you have an interesting topic to report on, please let us know. The<br />
same goes for the first PHA platform World Congress in Cologne/<br />
Germany next September.<br />
Let me take this opportunity to wish you all a relaxing time<br />
over the holidays as this year comes to an end. Together with<br />
you, our readers, we look forward with confidence to a new year<br />
of challenges, innovations - and events. On our calendar, we’ve already marked<br />
down Chinaplas, taking place next year at a new location in Shanghai, NPE in Orlando,<br />
NatureWorks’ ITR in September and a host of other conferences. We’ll be covering these<br />
events, and more - and we hope to see you there, too.<br />
EcoComunicazione.it<br />
WWW.MATERBI.COM COME TO VISIT US AT<br />
28 • 29 november <strong>2017</strong><br />
MARITIM PROARTE HOTEL • BERLIN<br />
adv mela se tore_bioplasticmagazine_11.12.<strong>2017</strong>_210x297_flagEBC_ese.indd 1 03/11/17 15:22<br />
r2_11.<strong>2017</strong><br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 12<br />
ISSN 1862-5258<br />
... is read in 92 countries<br />
Nov/Dec<br />
<strong>06</strong> | <strong>2017</strong><br />
Highlights<br />
Films / Flexibles / Bags | 12<br />
Polyurethanes / Elastomers | 14<br />
Basics<br />
Blown Film Extrusion | 48<br />
ITALY / FRANCE-<br />
Special<br />
Until then, please enjoy reading this latest issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE.<br />
Sincerely yours<br />
Michael Thielen<br />
In this issue we have a closer<br />
look to France and Italy. .<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 3
Content<br />
Imprint<br />
Nov / Dec <strong>06</strong>|<strong>2017</strong><br />
Bioplastic Award<br />
10 And the winner is ...<br />
Films/Flexibles/Bags<br />
12 Compostable film resins from Malaysia<br />
13 Mulch films and more<br />
Polyurethanes/Elastomers<br />
14 Biobased EP(D)M<br />
16 Renewable Polyols<br />
17 Congratulations - 10 years soy foam in Ford cars<br />
18 Biobased thermoplastic elastomer compounds<br />
20 Bio-succinic acid<br />
23 New biobased lactide polyol polyesters<br />
24 Injection molders who have made bioplastics work<br />
26 Sugar for extra grip<br />
Processing<br />
27 Optimize Processability<br />
Materials<br />
30 Biobased adhesives<br />
From Science & Research<br />
34 PEF: an alternative with a future<br />
36 Aconitic acid as a building block for bioplastics<br />
36 Flexible barrier film<br />
37 From municipal waste to bioplastics<br />
Applications<br />
44 Hot compost bin<br />
45 Race Tesla with bio-composites<br />
Report<br />
46 Product communication<br />
50 Situation in France<br />
3 Editorial<br />
5 News<br />
28 Material News<br />
37 Application News<br />
48 Basics<br />
52 Opinion<br />
55 Brand Owner<br />
56 10 years ago<br />
57 Survey<br />
58 Suppliers Guide<br />
61 Event Calendar<br />
52 Companies in this issue<br />
Publisher / Editorial<br />
Dr. Michael Thielen (MT)<br />
Samuel Brangenberg (SB)<br />
Head Office<br />
Polymedia Publisher GmbH<br />
Dammer Str. 112<br />
41<strong>06</strong>6 Mönchengladbach, Germany<br />
phone: +49 (0)2161 6884469<br />
fax: +49 (0)2161 6884468<br />
info@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
Media Adviser<br />
Samsales (German language)<br />
phone: +49(0)2161-6884467<br />
fax: +49(0)2161 6884468<br />
s.brangenberg@samsales.de<br />
Chris Shaw (English language)<br />
Chris Shaw Media Ltd<br />
Media Sales Representative<br />
phone: +44 (0) 1270 522130<br />
mobile: +44 (0) 7983 967471<br />
and Michael Thielen (see head office)<br />
Layout/Production<br />
Kerstin Neumeister<br />
Print<br />
Poligrāfijas grupa Mūkusala Ltd.<br />
1004 Riga, Latvia<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE is printed on<br />
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Print run: 3.500 copies<br />
bioplastics magazine<br />
ISSN 1862-5258<br />
bM is published 6 times a year.<br />
This publication is sent to qualified subscribers<br />
(149 Euro for 6 issues).<br />
From Jan 2018 on: EUR 169 for 6 issues<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE is read in<br />
92 countries.<br />
Every effort is made to verify all Information<br />
published, but Polymedia Publisher<br />
cannot accept responsibility for any errors<br />
or omissions or for any losses that may<br />
arise as a result.<br />
All articles appearing in<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE, or on the website<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com are strictly<br />
covered by copyright. No part of this<br />
publication may be reproduced, copied,<br />
scanned, photographed and/or stored<br />
in any form, including electronic format,<br />
without the prior consent of the publisher.<br />
Opinions expressed in articles do not<br />
necessarily reflect those of Polymedia<br />
Publisher.<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE welcomes contributions<br />
for publication. Submissions are<br />
accepted on the basis of full assignment<br />
of copyright to Polymedia Publisher GmbH<br />
unless otherwise agreed in advance and in<br />
writing. We reserve the right to edit items<br />
for reasons of space, clarity or legality.<br />
Please contact the editorial office via mt@<br />
bioplasticsmagazine.com.<br />
The fact that product names may not be<br />
identified in our editorial as trade marks<br />
is not an indication that such names are<br />
not registered trade marks.<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE tries to use British<br />
spelling. However, in articles based on<br />
information from the USA, American<br />
spelling may also be used.<br />
Envelopes<br />
A part of this print run is mailed to the<br />
readers wrapped in bioplastic envelopes<br />
sponsored by Taghleef Industries, S.p.A.,<br />
Maropack GmbH & Co. KG, and SFV-<br />
Verpackungen<br />
Cover<br />
shutterstock / Michaelpuche<br />
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daily upated news at<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
News<br />
Ellen MacArthur Foundation issues call to ban<br />
oxo-degradable plastic packaging<br />
A new statement from the Ellen MacArthur foundation<br />
that proposes banning oxo-degradable plastic packaging<br />
worldwide was endorsed by over 150 organisations around<br />
the globe. Signatories include leading businesses, industry<br />
associations, NGOs, scientists, and elected officials.<br />
Oxo-degradable plastic packaging, including carrier<br />
bags, is often marketed as a solution to plastic pollution,<br />
with claims that such plastics degrade into harmless<br />
residues within a period ranging from a few months to<br />
several years. However, as outlined in a new statement<br />
by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics<br />
Economy initiative, significant evidence indicates that<br />
oxo-degradable plastics do not degrade into harmless<br />
residues, but instead fragment into tiny pieces of plastic<br />
and contribute to microplastic pollution, posing a risk to<br />
the ocean and other ecosystems, potentially for decades<br />
to come.<br />
“The available evidence overwhelmingly suggests oxodegradable<br />
plastics do not achieve what their producers<br />
claim and instead contribute to microplastic pollution. In<br />
addition, these materials are not suited for effective longterm<br />
reuse, recycling at scale or composting, meaning they<br />
cannot be part of a circular economy,” said Rob Opsomer,<br />
Lead for Systemic Initiatives at the Ellen MacArthur<br />
Foundation. In other words: “Oxo-degradable plastic<br />
packaging is not a solution to plastic pollution, and does<br />
not fit in a circular economy.”<br />
Signatories of the Foundation’s statement include M&S,<br />
PepsiCo, Unilever, Veolia, British Plastics Federation, Gulf<br />
Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association, Packaging<br />
South Africa, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Plymouth Marine<br />
Laboratory, and ten Members of the European Parliament.<br />
In total, over 150 organisations, including leading<br />
businesses representing every step of the plastics supply<br />
chain, industry associations, NGOs, scientists, and elected<br />
officials have endorsed the statement calling for global<br />
action to avoid widescale environmental risk.<br />
“Using oxo-degradable additives is not a solution<br />
for litter. Their use in waste management systems will<br />
likely cause negative outcomes for the environment and<br />
communities,” said Erin Simon, Director of Sustainability<br />
Research and Development, World Wildlife Fund. “When<br />
public policy supports the cascading use of materials –<br />
systems where materials get reused over and over, this<br />
strengthens economies and drives the development of<br />
smarter materials management systems. This leads to<br />
wins for both the environment and society.”<br />
However, oxo-degradable plastics are still produced in<br />
many European countries, including the UK, and marketed<br />
across the world as safely biodegradable. Several countries<br />
in the Middle-East and Africa, including the United Arab<br />
Emirates, Saudi Arabia, areas of Pakistan, Yemen, Ivory<br />
Coast, South Africa, Ghana and Togo, are still promoting<br />
the use of oxo-degradable plastics or have even made their<br />
use mandatory.<br />
To create a plastics system that works, the Ellen<br />
MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy initiative,<br />
together with the signing organisations, supports<br />
innovation that designs out waste and pollution, and keeps<br />
products and materials in high-value use in line with the<br />
principles of a circular economy MT<br />
The complete statement can be downloaded from<br />
tinyurl.com/ban-oxodegr<br />
Bio-on completes construction of the world's<br />
largest PHA fermenters<br />
Bio-on (Bologna, Italy), one of the main players in the new eco-sustainable chemical industry, recently announced the<br />
completion of the fermenters that are at the heart of the production technology for 100% biodegradable and natural bioplastic<br />
at the Bio-on plant set to open next year. This big technological challenge has enabled the world's largest fermenters to be<br />
built with a capacity of over 100 thousand litres and a height of over 13 metres. These large silos will house the fermentation<br />
process in which bacteria produce PHA bioplastics.<br />
The new fermenters have been designed by Bio-on's technical staff (ENG Business Unit) in collaboration with RAF, the inhouse<br />
team of scientists that developed the various stages of aerobic fermentation over the last 4 years. The two fermenters,<br />
which have just been delivered, will be transported and installed at the Bio-on Plants site in Castel San Pietro Terme, Bologna<br />
and will contribute towards the upcoming production of biopolymers for cosmetic use. MT<br />
www.bio-on.it<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 5
News<br />
daily upated news at<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
European Parliament supports use of<br />
biodegradable mulch films<br />
On October 24, <strong>2017</strong>, the Plenary of the European Parliament<br />
voted in favour of supporting biodegradable mulch films in the<br />
revision of the EU Fertilizers Regulation. European Bioplastics<br />
(EUBP), the association for the bioplastics industry in Europe,<br />
welcomes the outcome. “The inclusion of biodegradable<br />
mulches in the EU Fertilizers Regulation will help to harmonise<br />
regulations across the EU Member States and to create a<br />
single market for bio-based and biodegradable materials used<br />
in agriculture”, says François de Bie, Chairman of EUBP.<br />
The amendments, which have already been approved by the<br />
Parliament’s Committees on Internal Market and Consumer<br />
Protection (IMCO), on Agriculture and Rural Development<br />
(AGRI), and on the Environment, Public Health and Food<br />
Safety (ENVI) in July earlier this year, acknowledge the innovative potential of biodegradable mulch films to provide positive<br />
agronomical effects and to help avoid the accumulation of microplastics on fields. Biodegradable mulch films have been<br />
available on the EU market for many years, meeting a high level of acceptance among European farmers. They play an essential<br />
role in modern agriculture as help to increase yield, improve the quality of crops, enhance weed control, and reduce water<br />
irrigation and pesticides. Additionally, they offer distinctive advantages at the end of the crop cycle as they can be left on the<br />
field and ploughed under.<br />
The approved amendments on biodegradable mulch films are linked to the criteria of the upcoming European standard CEN<br />
FprEN 17033 on biodegradation of plastic mulch films in soil developed by CEN-Technical Committee 249 on Plastics. The<br />
standard is expected to be published at the beginning of 2018. MT<br />
www.european-bioplastics.org<br />
BPI taps DIN CERTCO<br />
for third-party compostability verification<br />
The Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI)’s Board of Directors recently announced that DIN CERTCO has been hired for the<br />
administration of technical reviews under the BPI certification program, effective December 1, <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
BPI (New York, USA) operates North America’s leading certification for compostable products, with over 6,500 products<br />
currently approved based on ASTM’s scientific standards. DIN CERTCO (Berlin, Germany) has more than 2 decades of<br />
experience administering compostability certification for groups such as European Bioplastics Association and Australasia<br />
Bioplastics, as well as its own certifications.<br />
Certification for compostable products is critical for ensuring that items have been properly tested, meet international<br />
standards, and can be identified as such by composters, municipalities, restaurants, consumers, and others engaged in the<br />
diversion of organic waste. US-states like California and Maryland have laws requiring any product marketed as compostable<br />
to meet these standards, and BPI certification is widely acknowledged as the best means of doing so.<br />
“We are excited to partner with DIN CERTCO for this next phase of our certification program, as they<br />
are a recognized leader in the compostability field,” says Rhodes Yepsen, Executive Director of BPI. “This<br />
will not change the appearance of the BPI certification to those who trust and rely on it. However, offices<br />
in China and Taiwan will assist with the growing number of companies located overseas, and technical<br />
expertise will ensure continued strength in compostability claims for products and packaging that are<br />
increasingly complex in nature.”<br />
“This is an excellent opportunity for BPI and DIN CERTCO to provide our<br />
customers the best service possible. We are convinced that we are able to<br />
provide a value added service with our experts, since we have been active in the<br />
field of industrial compostable products for more than 20 years.” adds Robert<br />
Zorn, Managing Director of DIN CERTCO. “Together with BPI we will be able to<br />
provide customers a one-stop solution to access several markets in one go.” MT<br />
www.bpiworld.org | www.dincertco.de/en<br />
6 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
News<br />
Braskem and Haldor Topsoe partner to develop<br />
biobased MEG<br />
Braskem (São Paulo, Brazil) and Haldor Topsoe (Lyngby,<br />
Denmark) have signed a technological cooperation agreement<br />
to develop a pioneering route to produce monoethylene glycol<br />
(MEG) from sugar. The agreement calls for the construction<br />
of a demonstration plant in Denmark, with operation slated<br />
to begin in 2019.<br />
MEG is a key component of e.g. PET resin. The project is<br />
based on a two-step process developed at Topsoe’s labs along<br />
with own catalysts, and focuses on the conversion of sugar<br />
into MEG at a single industrial unit, which will reduce initial<br />
investment in the production and boost the competitiveness<br />
of the process.<br />
“This novel biobased initiative allies a cutting-edge<br />
technology with deep expertise in process design, scaleup<br />
and industrial operation, which will allow us to push the<br />
renewable chemistry to a whole new level. After the Green<br />
Polyethylene, this is another major step forward in our<br />
vision of using renewable polymers as a carbon capture tool<br />
and keep contributing to a more sustainable future.” said<br />
Mateus Lopes, head of Innovation in Renewable Chemicals at<br />
Braskem.<br />
With the agreement, Braskem wants to expand its<br />
portfolio of renewable products to offer new solutions that<br />
complement its biobased polyethylene marketed with the<br />
I’m green TM seal. “With this new partnership, we strengthen<br />
our position as protagonists in the development of innovative<br />
solutions that will leverage the competitiveness of different<br />
biomasses and complement the traditional solutions offered<br />
by the petrochemical industry,” said Gustavo Sergi, director of<br />
Renewable Chemicals at Braskem.<br />
“Catalysis will play an extremely important role in the<br />
development of sustainable solutions that produce important<br />
chemicals from renewable sources such as sugars. We are<br />
proud to deliver the ground-breaking technology for the<br />
project with Braskem, and we look forward to applying our<br />
world-leading competencies within catalysis and process<br />
engineering in the further commercialization of this important<br />
technology,” said Kim Knudsen, Executive Vice President at<br />
Haldor Topsoe.<br />
The demonstration plant will conduct tests to validate the<br />
technology and confirm its technical and economic feasibility,<br />
which is a critical step before launching production on an<br />
industrial scale and commercial operations. The unit will be<br />
flexible to validate the technology in different raw materials<br />
such as sucrose, dextrose and second-generation sugars. MT<br />
www.braskem.com.br | www.topsoe.com<br />
biocompositescc.com<br />
Sustainable eyeware solutions<br />
API (Mussolente, Italy) an Italian company that specializes<br />
in the production of thermoplastic elastomeric compounds<br />
and bioplastics that was acquired by global materials<br />
company Trinseo (headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania,<br />
USA) in July <strong>2017</strong>, has announced a green partnership<br />
with EMS-GRIVORY (Domat/Ems, Switzerland), a leading<br />
Swiss manufacturer of high performance polymers and<br />
supplier of structural materials in the eyewear industry.<br />
The partnership aims at developing a series of sustainable<br />
eyewear solutions with a lower environmental impact,<br />
providing customers with cutting-edge materials.<br />
The demand to combine soft elastomeric compounds with<br />
hard substrates has been constantly increasing. Engineers<br />
from both companies will collaborate on combining<br />
the adhesion modified soft-touch TPE (Thermoplastic<br />
Elastomers) with the harder Ems Grilamid TR ® or Grilamid ®<br />
BTR materials, thereby fully complying with the VDI 2019<br />
standard. API and Ems-Grivory will work on the development<br />
of specific bio-solutions, both on a fossil and renewable basis.<br />
“We are excited to partner with Ems-Grivory as we focus<br />
our combined expertise serving a broader and greener<br />
product range,” says Giancarlo Busa, Business Unit Manager,<br />
Footwear & Sporting Goods, API. “Our materials will satisfy<br />
social, economic and environmental benefits, without<br />
imposing performance limitations. We strongly believe in the<br />
future of innovative and sustainable solutions for eyewear.”<br />
Ems-Grivory showcased<br />
their eyewear products<br />
at the 25 th HKTDC<br />
Hong Kong Optical Fair<br />
(8‐10 November <strong>2017</strong>).<br />
www.APIplastic.com<br />
www.trinseo.com/API-plastic<br />
www.emsgrivory.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 7
News<br />
daily upated news at<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
Erratum<br />
In our last issue we published an article about Cathay<br />
Biotech: "Advances in textile applications for biobased<br />
polyamide". However we made a mistake in the title of<br />
Fig 3.<br />
We sincerely apologize. Please find the correct picture<br />
below. MT<br />
25 —<br />
20 —<br />
15 —<br />
10 —<br />
5 —<br />
0 —<br />
0 2 3 4 8<br />
Terryl<br />
www.cathaybiotech.com/en<br />
K/S<br />
PA6<br />
PA66<br />
Figure 3: Terryl uses less dye to achieve<br />
the same dyeing performance<br />
New PHA plant<br />
Hydal Corporation (headquartered in Singapore) will<br />
start the production of a PHA biopolymer (PHB) in Slovakia<br />
on the site of its Slovak partner. It is the first industrial plant<br />
for production of this biopolymer. Hydal biotechnology<br />
enables the production from used cooking oil.<br />
The production capacity of the factory in the first phase<br />
will be 1.000 tonnes with up-scaling up to 10.000 tonnes<br />
of PHB per year. Production will begin at the end of 2018.<br />
PHB will be used to develop and manufacture their own<br />
nonoilen bioplastic solution and for cosmetic applications.<br />
The Hydal Corporation was founded by two EU partners:<br />
NAFIGATE Corporation – owner of biopolymer PHA<br />
production technology know-how and Panara Ltd. – owner<br />
of biopolymer blends process technology know-how.<br />
Contribution of both companies in the form of patented,<br />
unique industrial know-how gives Hydal Corporation<br />
very big potential to succeed in the worldwide market<br />
expansion.<br />
Besides technology know-how, both partners are<br />
experts in the area of bio-technologies and bio-plastics<br />
processing. Both founders have strong R&D base and<br />
technical support which increases the potential of<br />
successful investments into project in each phase of its<br />
realization.<br />
www.hydalbiotech.com<br />
Picks & clicks<br />
Most frequently clicked news<br />
Here’s a look at our most popular online content of<br />
the past two months. The story that got the most clicks<br />
from the visitors to bioplasticsmagazine.com was:<br />
New Studies Confirm: Biodegradable<br />
Plastics Boost Organic Recycling and<br />
Improve Mechanical Recycling (17 Oct <strong>2017</strong>)<br />
Biodegradable plastics offer innovative solutions to<br />
improve recycling quality by facilitating the means for<br />
more efficient separate waste collection.<br />
more at tinyurl.com/news-<strong>2017</strong>1017<br />
This has been<br />
confirmed by a new<br />
study concerning<br />
the effects of<br />
biodegradable plastics<br />
on plastics recycling<br />
streams in Italy,<br />
where all single-use<br />
carrier bags have to<br />
be compostable since<br />
2011....<br />
Online toolbox for easier<br />
biobased procurement<br />
The European project InnProBio has launched an online<br />
toolbox for biobased procurement in the public sector.<br />
The toolbox includes an online database of biobased<br />
products and suppliers, good practice examples,<br />
procurement instruments and standard tender text blocks.<br />
The toolbox is available in English, German, Dutch and Polish.<br />
The toolbox is a starting point for public buyers to get<br />
informed about the various biobased products available on<br />
the market. It includes a database of products and suppliers<br />
of biobased products. Information about the biobased<br />
content, sustainability, functionality and end-of-life aspects<br />
such as biodegradability are also included. Claims are<br />
supported by references to standards, technical sheets,<br />
labels and certificates. Producers and suppliers of biobased<br />
products are invited to add their products to the database.<br />
In addition, the toolbox provides instruments that can<br />
support the procurement of biobased products: good<br />
practice examples showing how biobased procurement<br />
is successfully implemented in practice, information<br />
on procurement instruments most relevant in biobased<br />
procurement, and sample tender text blocks that can be<br />
used when putting together tender documents.<br />
http://tools.innprobio.eu<br />
8 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
organized by<br />
5 th PLA World Congress<br />
29-30 MAY* 2018 MUNICH › GERMANY<br />
is a versatile bioplastics raw<br />
PLA material from renewable resources.<br />
It is being used for films and rigid packaging,<br />
for fibres in woven and non-woven applications.<br />
Automotive industry and consumer electronics<br />
are thoroughly investigating and even already<br />
applying PLA. New methods of polymerizing,<br />
compounding or blending of PLA have broadened<br />
the range of properties and thus the range<br />
of possible applications.<br />
That‘s why bioplastics MAGAZINE is now<br />
organizing the 5 th PLA World Congress on:<br />
29-30 May* 2018 in Munich / Germany<br />
Experts from all involved fields will share their<br />
knowledge and contribute to a comprehensive<br />
overview of today‘s opportunities and challenges<br />
and discuss the possibilities, limitations<br />
and future prospects of PLA for all kind of<br />
applications. Like the four previous congresses<br />
the 5 th PLA World Congress will also offer<br />
excellent networking opportunities for all<br />
delegates and speakers as well as exhibitors<br />
of the table-top exhibition.<br />
The team of bioplastics MAGAZINE is looking<br />
forward to seeing you in Munich.<br />
The conference will comprise high class presentations on<br />
› Latest developments<br />
› Market overview<br />
call for papers still open<br />
› High temperature behaviour<br />
› Blends and comounds<br />
› Additives / Colorants<br />
› Applications (film and rigid packaging, textile,<br />
automotive,electronics, toys, and many more)<br />
Sponsor:<br />
Contact us at: mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
for exhibition and sponsoring opportunities<br />
www.pla-world-congress.com<br />
* date subject to changes<br />
› Fibers, fabrics, textiles, nonwovens<br />
› Reinforcements<br />
› End of life options<br />
(recycling,composting, incineration etc)<br />
Supported by:<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 9
Award<br />
And the winner is ...<br />
The 12 th Global Bioplastics Award <strong>2017</strong> goes<br />
to MAIP Srl for a newly developed PHBH-<br />
Compound for ABB Light switch covers<br />
I<br />
am NATURE is a special PHBH based compound, available<br />
in tailor made grades and suitable for high temperature<br />
applications. It offers a sustainable solution preserving the<br />
technical properties of a traditional thermoplastic material.<br />
Maip has developed different bioplastics that are sold under<br />
the name of I am NATURE for several years. These PHBH<br />
based grades are compounded with mineral fillers, with<br />
water-repellent properties, natural fillers, natural based<br />
colours and additives of vegetal origin as well as functional<br />
components for specific requirements. The PHBH can also<br />
be blended with other biobased products such as PLA or<br />
with other biodegradable materials such as PBS, PBSA,<br />
PBAT, and others.<br />
For a new series of switch cover frames that should<br />
have an advanced design and a remarkable environment<br />
sustainability connotation, ABB was looking for a bioplastic<br />
material that could replace technopolymers such as ABS or<br />
PC/ ABS. In a joint development ABB and Maip succeeded<br />
in creating a special I am NATURE grade that is suitable to<br />
satisfy all the multiple requirements of the component. The<br />
new compound exhibits particular properties such as high<br />
dimensional stability, thermal resistance (about 130 °C),<br />
superior UV and light resistance, easy colourability and easy<br />
mouldability in multi cavity moulds. Easy processability and<br />
specific electric features such as for example a glow wire of<br />
650 °C at 2 mm.<br />
The most severe test of all, the scratch resistance, led to<br />
the development of special grades that show surprising mar<br />
/ scratch resistance values also in case of matte textures.<br />
The main properties that were achieved, allow the definition<br />
of the new I am NATURE as an actual Bio-Technopolymer<br />
that also allows to eliminate the painting (because of its<br />
good mass colourability) dramatically reducing the carbon<br />
footprint of the component. The switch covers were officially<br />
introduced to the market in Europe in September <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
The judges were convinced of the concept. The<br />
application of the ABB light switch covers shows that the<br />
right combination of Polyhydroxyalkanoate polymers with<br />
other naturally based ingredients can lead to sophisticated<br />
applications.<br />
The prize was awarded to the winning company on<br />
November 28 th , <strong>2017</strong> during the 12 th European Bioplastics<br />
Conference in Berlin, Germany. MT<br />
www.maipsrl.com<br />
10 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
call for papers now open!<br />
Save the Date<br />
04-05 Sep 2018<br />
Cologne, Germany<br />
www.pha-world-congress.com<br />
PHA (Poly-Hydroxy-Alkanoates or polyhydroxy fatty acids) is a family of biobased polyesters. As in many<br />
mammals, including humans, that hold energy reserves in the form of body fat there are also bacteria that<br />
hold intracellular reserves of polyhydroxy alkanoates. Here the micro-organisms store a particularly high level<br />
of energy reserves (up to 80% of their own body weight) for when their sources of nutrition become scarce.<br />
Examples for such Polyhydroxyalkanoates are PHB, PHV, PHBV, PHBH and many more. That’s why we speak<br />
about the PHA platform.<br />
This PHA-platform is made up of a large variety of bioplastics raw materials made from many different renewable<br />
resources. Depending on the type of PHA, they can be used for applications in films and rigid packaging,<br />
biomedical applications, automotive, consumer electronics, appliances, toys, glues, adhesives, paints, coatings,<br />
fibers for woven and non-woven and inks. So PHAs cover a broad range of properties and applications.<br />
That’s why bioplastics MAGAZINE and Jan Ravenstijn are now organizing the 1 st PHA-platform World Congress<br />
on 4-5 September 2018 in Cologne / Germany.<br />
This congress will address the progress, challenges and market opportunities for the formation of this new polymer<br />
platform in the world. Every step in the value chain will be addressed. Raw materials, polymer manufacturing,<br />
compounding, polymer processing, applications, opportunities and end-of-life options will be discussed by parties<br />
active in each of these areas. Progress in underlying technology challenges will also be addressed.<br />
Platinum Sponsor:<br />
Gold Sponsor:<br />
organized by<br />
Co-organized by Jan Ravenstijn
Films/Flexibles/Bags<br />
Mulch films<br />
and more<br />
Barbier Group Bioplastic films<br />
Barbier Group is a French family-owned company founded<br />
in 1955 and headquartered in Sainte-Sigolène near Lyon,<br />
Barbier extrudes, prints and recycles polyethylene films.<br />
Its activity focuses on three complementary markets: agriculture<br />
films, industrial packaging films and retailing (mainly garbage<br />
and carrier bags).<br />
National leader and in the top 10 producers of flexible<br />
polyethylene film in Europe, Barbier Group has always been<br />
committed to environmental issues. Indeed, in the 1980s, Barbier<br />
Group invested in a recycling plant in order to stop throwing<br />
away plastic waste. Initially focusing on post-production waste,<br />
this plant then began recycling post use plastic film as well. This<br />
marked the end of a linear model (manufacture, sell, discard)<br />
and the beginning of a circular economy (manufacture, sell,<br />
collect, recycle, manufacture …). This commitment to recycling<br />
activities carried on with the construction of a second recycling<br />
plant in 2015.<br />
In the 1990s, when the first biodegradable raw materials<br />
for flexible film applications became available on the market,<br />
Barbier Group decided to launch R&D projects aiming to develop<br />
biodegradable film. From the beginning, Barbier’s approach was<br />
the following: to use biodegradable raw materials only when they<br />
offered real benefits both for end-users and for the environment.<br />
Indeed biodegradability is only an additional function for a<br />
product and has to be promoted only when it represents the best<br />
option for product end of life. Too often biodegradability has been<br />
used primarily for marketing reasons. That is why Barbier Group<br />
works closely with its clients to understand their needs and how<br />
the product is used:<br />
• When plastic film is easy to collect and not too soiled, a<br />
recyclable product is advised<br />
• When plastic film is hard to collect and very soiled, a<br />
biodegradable product is advised<br />
The product life cycle is therefore thought of since its<br />
conception.<br />
In 2000, Barbier Group introduced its first biodegradable<br />
product into the market: a biodegradable mulching film (Bionov ® ).<br />
Standard mulching films (films made with polyethylene resins)<br />
are laid every year by farmers and should be removed after use<br />
because they are not biodegradable. This is very time consuming<br />
for them and it is difficult to recycle these soiled films. Thus<br />
bioplastic is really the right solution: there is no need to remove<br />
the plastic film and no ground pollution.<br />
To meet the requirements of the new Energy Transition for<br />
Green Growth Act (France) and also to meet the growing demand<br />
for eco-friendly bags, Barbier Group in collaboration with<br />
Novamont (a leading European producer of compostable and<br />
biosourced resins) developed a wholly compostable bag for home<br />
composting: Ma-ter-bio ® . This bag is an alternative to traditional<br />
non-biodegradable and non-compostable plastics packaging:<br />
Ma-ter-bio’s percentage of renewable content (obtained from<br />
locally sourced starch and sunflower oil), is at least 40 %, but<br />
can already be increased to over 50 %. This product reflects the<br />
commitment of Barbier to the circular economy and to a clean<br />
and environmentally friendly industry.<br />
In response to the same requirement, Barbier Group also<br />
developed a biodegradable home compostable mailing film.<br />
In <strong>2017</strong>, and for the first time in Barbier Group’s history,<br />
biodegradable products will represent around 5 % of the<br />
company’s total production volume and the target is 8 % in<br />
the near future. www.babiergroup.com<br />
Magnetic<br />
for Plastics<br />
www.plasticker.com<br />
• International Trade<br />
in Raw Materials, Machinery & Products Free of Charge.<br />
• Daily News<br />
from the Industrial Sector and the Plastics Markets.<br />
• Current Market Prices<br />
for Plastics.<br />
• Buyer’s Guide<br />
for Plastics & Additives, Machinery & Equipment, Subcontractors<br />
and Services.<br />
• Job Market<br />
for Specialists and Executive Staff in the Plastics Industry.<br />
Up-to-date • Fast • Professional<br />
12 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Films/Flexibles/Bags<br />
Sustainable and eco-friendly bioplastics developer<br />
SECOS Group Limited (headquartered in Mt<br />
Waverley Victoria, Australia) recently announced<br />
its successful Malaysian operations will expand to<br />
commence manufacturing compostable resin in the<br />
first quarter of 2018.<br />
This supports Secos’ international growth strategy<br />
and follows ongoing business development at the<br />
Company’s production facility at Port Klang near Kuala<br />
Lumpur. Secos’ new strategic business unit will be<br />
named Cardia Bioplastics (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and will<br />
operate under the Stellar Films (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd<br />
business the Company acquired in April 2015.<br />
The company’s establishment of a resin manufacturing<br />
facility furthers the strong green initiatives set by the<br />
Malaysian Government and encourages sustainable<br />
manufacturing. This move represents the outcome of<br />
18 months of government negotiations, dialogue with<br />
the Malaysian Plastics Association, and discussions<br />
with key players in the local film and bag industry.<br />
These green initiatives have culminated in the<br />
Malaysian Government awarding the new strategic<br />
business unit with Bionexus status. This recognition<br />
bestows fiscal incentives, grants and other guarantees<br />
to assist growth. Only certain qualified companies<br />
undertaking value-added biotechnology and/or life<br />
sciences activities qualify for Bionexus status.<br />
The business unit will commence operations having<br />
made strong sales of compostable resin (in excess of 35<br />
tonnes) to large-scale bag manufacturers in Malaysia.<br />
These initial sales have followed successful production<br />
trials, using resin Secos manufactured at its Nanjing,<br />
China plant.<br />
Secos Managing Director, Stephen Walters, said:<br />
“With single-use plastic bags having become a<br />
global ecological issue, we applaud the Malaysian<br />
Government for showing leadership and making a<br />
strong commitment to bioplastics. Establishing a<br />
new compostable resin plant in Malaysia will set the<br />
Company as a leader in the Malaysian bioplastics<br />
industry and provide Secos with a significant growth<br />
opportunity.<br />
The new plant will work closely with local film and<br />
bag producers to produce and market bioplastic resins<br />
that suit the needs of the large Malaysian bag market.<br />
The Malaysian plastics industry is estimated to be worth<br />
more than 5 billion EURO (A$8 bn) and is growing at 5 %<br />
to 8 % per annum, with a large percentage of this growth<br />
coming in the bioplastics sector. The Company expects<br />
to reap the benefit of additional synergies through its<br />
Stellar Films Malaysia business accelerating its use<br />
of bioplastics in products for the hygiene market. The<br />
Company is increasingly offering products with higher<br />
blends of biohybrid resin that decrease the use of oilbased<br />
plastics in baby diapers and feminine hygiene<br />
products.<br />
This initiative will strengthen Secos’ relationship with<br />
its customers as it opens the potential for innovative<br />
new products and guarantees continuity of supply.” MT<br />
www.secosgroup.com.au<br />
Compostable<br />
film resins<br />
from Malaysia<br />
Malaysian plant upgrade to meet<br />
demand for compostable resin<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 13
Polyurethanes / Elastomers<br />
Biobased EP(D)M<br />
Focus on sustainability<br />
ARLANXEO Netherlands has made a pioneering move<br />
towards exploring a future based on renewable resources,<br />
by developing the world’s first biobased<br />
EP(D)M elastomers commercialized under the tradename<br />
Keltan ® Eco.<br />
Keltan Eco is produced from biobased ethylene supplied<br />
by Braskem which originates from sugar cane (Figure 1).<br />
The sugar from sugar cane is converted to ethanol, which is<br />
then dehydrated to ethylene by Braskem in their Brazilian<br />
Triunfo plant. This biobased ethylene is transported via a<br />
pipeline to the neighboring Arlanxeo EP(D)M polymerization<br />
plant. Depending on the ethylene content of the particular<br />
grade, the bio-carbon content of Keltan Eco elastomer<br />
ranges between 48 and 70 wt-%.<br />
Translating this to final rubber articles produced from<br />
EP(D)M compounds, a bio-carbon content of 15-20 wt-%<br />
can be achieved, if Keltan Eco is the only biobased ingredient<br />
of the compound (Figure 1).<br />
Keltan Eco gives the following benefits:<br />
• reduced dependence on fossil resources;<br />
• reduced carbon footprint due to use of sugar cane;<br />
• truly sustainable as validated by a Life Cycle Assessment<br />
performed by Thinkstep;<br />
• biobased content up to 70% measured and traced back<br />
by ASTM D6866 carbon-14 test performed by Beta<br />
Analytic.<br />
Figure 2 shows the Global Warming Potential of Keltan<br />
Eco. Depending on ethylene content the EP(D)M carbon<br />
footprint is reduced up to 82 % for Keltan Eco 5470 (70<br />
wt-% biobased ethylene) and up to 54 % for Keltan Eco 8550<br />
(55 wt‐% biobased ethylene).<br />
Figure 2 - Global Warming Potential of Keltan Eco 5470<br />
and 8850 compared to crude oil-based Keltan 5470 and<br />
8550, all produced in Triunfo plant (kg CO2-equiv. per ton<br />
polymer) (Data by Thinkstep).<br />
In essence Keltan Eco elastomers look, feel and behave<br />
like conventional crude oil-based EP(D)M, which show<br />
exceptional elasticity, flexibility, weather ability and durability.<br />
It can be mixed, moulded, extruded and calendared to<br />
produce rubber articles with excellent aesthetics. Arlanxeo<br />
has six Keltan Eco elastomers commercially available in its<br />
portfolio (Table 1).<br />
Typically, rubber articles not only consist of elastomer(s),<br />
but also of (reinforcing) filler(s), plasticizer(s), crosslinking<br />
agents and other additives. EP(D)M products may<br />
contain higher than 400 phr of compounding ingredients<br />
incorporated into 100 phr of EP(D)M elastomer.<br />
Carbon black is produced via incomplete combustion of<br />
a hydrocarbon feed with natural gas. Silica is produced via<br />
precipitation from a silicate salt solution. Inert white fillers,<br />
such as clay, talc and chalk are extracted from the ground<br />
in open mines and milled to fine powders.<br />
Traditional extender oils for EP(D)M are refinery fractions<br />
of crude oil. All of these ingredients, lack sustainability.<br />
In further efforts to increase the sustainability of EP(D)M<br />
rubber products based on Keltan Eco, the potential of using<br />
sustainable alternatives for traditional plasticizer oils and<br />
(reinforcing) fillers have been explored.<br />
Typical issues encountered when exploring relatively<br />
polar and unsaturated natural oils and fats in EP(D)M<br />
compounds are:<br />
• a lack of compatibility (mixing issues and oil bleeding);<br />
• competition for sulfur vulcanization (reduced crosslink<br />
density, inferior vulcanization properties).<br />
Modified natural oils, such as hydrogenated coconut oil or<br />
trans-esterified mono-esters have improved compatibility<br />
and/or vulcanization performance.<br />
Squalane (EPM hexamer) provides the best biobased<br />
alternative for mineral oil plasticizer, since it is as apolar as<br />
EP(D)M and is fully saturated.<br />
As far as sustainable fillers are concerned, pyrolysis black<br />
was shown to have a reinforcing efficiency 90 % of that of<br />
furnace N550 black. Rice husk ash and micro-cellulose do<br />
not show reinforcing properties, but can still be used as<br />
inert, white fillers, substituting certain traditional, mineral<br />
white fillers.<br />
Combining these sustainable plasticizer oils and<br />
(reinforcing) fillers has resulted in automotive solid seal<br />
EP(D)M compounds based on Keltan Eco with more than<br />
85 % sustainable content and properties comparable to<br />
the reference EP(D)M compounds, including heat ageing<br />
resistance up to 125 ºC.<br />
The final step towards a fully sustainable EP(D)M<br />
rubber compound would require the development of<br />
biobased rubber additives and curatives, which considering<br />
their chemical structure will be a long and challenging<br />
development.<br />
Aside improving sustainability of EP(D)M rubber products<br />
by compounding sustainable plasticizer oils, (reinforcing)<br />
fillers, another approach would be to develop a second<br />
generation Keltan Eco EP(D)M based on bio-ethylene<br />
ánd bio-propylene, which would bring the total biocarbon<br />
content of the EP(D)M elastomer, and sustainable<br />
compounds directly, to ~95 %.<br />
14 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Polyurethanes / Elastomers<br />
By:<br />
Joyce Kersjes<br />
Technical Manager<br />
Global M&S/TSAD Keltan EPDM<br />
Arlanxeo High Performance Elastomers<br />
Geleen, The Netherlands<br />
Table 1 - Keltan Eco EP(D)M portfolio and key properties<br />
For the future Arlanxeo and its raw material<br />
suppliers are assessing routes to increase the biocarbon<br />
content of the EP(D)M elastomer to a maximum<br />
attainable, amongst others via:<br />
• production of methanol from wood, followed by<br />
conversion of methanol to propylene;<br />
• sugar-based routes either via ethanol to ethylene<br />
and then via metathesis to propylene or via<br />
isopropanol to propylene;<br />
• direct fermentation of glucose using genetically<br />
engineered micro-organisms to a mixture of<br />
olefins, including propylene.<br />
The finishing touch to 100 % bio-carbon EP(D)M<br />
elastomer would be a biobased diene.<br />
As an example to stimulate interest, it can be<br />
mentioned that first experiments with an amorphous<br />
EP(D)M with 6 wt% 2,4-dimethyl-2,7-octadiene<br />
(natural terpene) as the diene, showed reasonable<br />
sulfur vulcanization characteristics and corresponding<br />
vulcanization properties, similar to a medium ENB-<br />
EP(D)M.<br />
Up till now Keltan Eco has received a positive<br />
response in the market and commercialization<br />
at customers is on-going in different application<br />
segments, like automotive and construction window<br />
and door sealing systems, as well as in hoses, innertubes,<br />
(bio-)plastics impact modification, TPE-V<br />
production, sport surfaces and sports goods. Some<br />
examples are displayed below.<br />
In conclusion: The broad portfolio of Keltan Eco<br />
EP(D)M elastomers offers the unique opportunity<br />
to industries to develop sustainable and bio-carbon<br />
based compounds and TPE-Vs for many applications.<br />
www.keltan.com | www.ARLANXEO.com<br />
[kg CO 2<br />
-Equiv]<br />
Sugar<br />
cane<br />
Crude oil<br />
Figure 2: Global Warming Potential of Keltan Eco 5470 and 8850<br />
compared to crude oil-based Keltan 5470 and 8550, all produced in<br />
Triunfo plant (kg CO 2<br />
-equiv. per ton polymer) (Data by Thinkstep)<br />
3,500<br />
3,000<br />
2,500<br />
2,000<br />
1,500<br />
1,000<br />
500<br />
0<br />
Grades<br />
Raw materials<br />
Ethanol<br />
Viscosity ML(1+4)<br />
(@ shown °C) [MU]<br />
Figure 1 - Route to biobased EP(D)M<br />
100%<br />
bio-based<br />
Ethylene<br />
0%<br />
bio-based<br />
C2<br />
[wt%]<br />
50-70%<br />
bio-based<br />
Keltan-Eco®<br />
EPDM<br />
ENB<br />
[wt%]<br />
Keltan Eco 0500R 11 g/10 min. (MFI) 49 -<br />
Keltan Eco 3050 51 (@ 100°C) 49 -<br />
Keltan Eco 5470 55 (@ 125°C) 70 4.6<br />
Keltan Eco 8550 80 (@ 125°C) 55 5.5<br />
Keltan Eco 6950 65 (@ 125°C) 48 9.0<br />
Keltan Eco 9950 60 (@ 150°C) 48 9.0<br />
15-20% biobased<br />
0%<br />
bio-based<br />
End products<br />
K5470 Triunfo K5470 Eco K8550 Triunfo K8550 Eco<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 15
Polyurethanes / Elastomers<br />
Renwable polyols<br />
Perstorp launches world’s first portfolio of renewable polyols<br />
Perstorp (Malmö, Sweden) recently announced the world’s<br />
first portfolio of renewable alternatives to the essential<br />
polyols Pentaerythritol (Penta), Trimethylolpropane (TMP),<br />
and Neopentyl glycol (Neo). The product portfolio was<br />
globally launched at China Coat (15-17 November <strong>2017</strong>,<br />
Shanghai). The launch is a response to the fast growing<br />
global need for more sustainable Coatings, Resins and<br />
Synthetic Lubricants to mention a few. This means that<br />
Perstorp is the only chemical company in the world to offer<br />
all three essential polyols Penta, TMP and Neo in both<br />
traditional and renewable forms.<br />
World’s first renewable Penta, known as Voxtar, was<br />
launched in 2010. It can reduce carbon footprint by up to<br />
80 % compared to fossil alternatives. The addition of two<br />
new innovative products; Evyron (partly renewable TMP)<br />
and Neeture (partly renewable Neo) will give Perstorp’s<br />
customers a clear market advantage in creating proenvironmental<br />
low carbon footprint products.<br />
Anna Berggren, Global Market Segment Manager for<br />
Resins at Perstorp commented: “The time is right to add two<br />
new renewable polyols. The market demand for biobased<br />
material is rapidly increasing due to a strong focus on<br />
sustainable chemistry and renewable raw materials. We are<br />
committed to our environmental responsibility as well as<br />
to helping our customers in their sustainable development.<br />
We are dedicated to our pro-environment products, giving<br />
prioritized supply for pro-environmental partners at all<br />
times.”<br />
Committed to the pro-environmental walk<br />
Perstorp’s commitment to sustainability runs deep in the<br />
company led by CEO, Jan Secher. “This launch is a great<br />
achievement and I’m very proud of the engagement from<br />
our employees. It’s clear that we are looking to make a<br />
difference. Sustainability is in the core of everything we do<br />
which also makes it a perfect strategic fit.”<br />
Perstorp’s new pro-environment portfolio is a great<br />
example of how they intend to work towards their 2030<br />
ambition to become Finite Material Neutral. “It is a tough<br />
ambition but we have to do it. There is no plan B, because<br />
we only have one planet,” Jan continues.<br />
Currently Perstorp is devoting 80 % of its R&D resources<br />
to finding new sustainable solutions and in addition, all<br />
Perstorp Swedish plants will switch to using only renewable<br />
electricity in 2018. “With the new pro-environment products<br />
we are launching at China Coat, we are reaffirming that we<br />
believe our molecules can change things for the better”,<br />
Jan concludes.<br />
Good for business and good for the environment<br />
The two new Pro-Environment Polyols – Evyron and<br />
Neeture - complete the portfolio of the three essential<br />
polyols in renewable options. The new portfolio is based on<br />
a certified mass balance concept. Mass balance is about<br />
mixing fossil and renewable in the same existing systems<br />
but keeping track of their quantities and allocating them<br />
to specific products. This ensures that the quality and<br />
performance of the molecules are exactly the same giving<br />
customers a real go-pro-environmental choice.<br />
Perstorp’s Pro-Environment Polyols are all ISCC<br />
certified which among other things ensures a traceability<br />
of the biobased raw material back to its country of origin.<br />
Anna Berggren highlights: “The biobased material in our<br />
products is sustainably sourced and I am proud to say that<br />
Perstorp launches world´s first portfolio of renewable<br />
polyols. And even better, they will also be the first to become<br />
ISCC certified.” MT<br />
www.perstorp.com<br />
16 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Polyurethanes / Elastomers<br />
Congratulations!<br />
Ford Motor Company celebrates 10-year<br />
anniversary of soybean-based foam<br />
Ten years ago, the 2008 Ford Mustang launched with<br />
seats made of soybean-based foam. Today, soy foam<br />
has saved over 100,000 tonnes (228 million pounds) of<br />
CO 2<br />
from entering the atmosphere; the same as would be<br />
consumed by four million trees per year, according to a consumer<br />
horticulturist at North Carolina State University.<br />
Ford has used soy foam since the Mustang went into<br />
production in late 2007, replacing traditional petroleumbased<br />
foam that most industries use. Researching and<br />
testing renewable, plant-based alternatives to petroleumbased<br />
plastics is something Ford has been committed to<br />
since 2000.<br />
“From our labs to our suppliers, incorporating renewable<br />
materials into auto parts takes a lot of work, but it’s the right<br />
thing to do,” said Executive Chairman Bill Ford. “At Ford, we<br />
want to do our part to reduce our impact on the environment,<br />
and using more sustainable materials in the vehicle is one of<br />
the ways we are doing this.”<br />
Since 2011, every Ford vehicle built in North America uses<br />
the soy foam in seat cushions, backs and headrests. It meets<br />
the company’s strict requirements as a renewable solution<br />
and doesn’t compromise durability and performance. Over<br />
the past decade, approximately 18.5 million vehicles have<br />
been produced with soy foam in them - that’s over 578 billion<br />
soybeans.<br />
Debbie Mielewski, Ford senior technical leader, has been<br />
leading the sustainable materials effort from the beginning,<br />
and said it wasn’t easy convincing suppliers to do molding<br />
trials; especially when petroleum oil prices were available at<br />
a low cost. The United Soybean Board (USB) - a group located<br />
in Chesterfield, Missouri, USA, that oversees investments in<br />
soybean innovations nationwide - played an integral role in<br />
funding the initial trials, and Bill Ford kept the project moving<br />
through all obstacles.<br />
“We may not have ever gone to<br />
market with soy foam if Bill Ford had not been at the helm,”<br />
Mielewski said. “It was a project that would only move forward<br />
with both a visionary and an environmentalist in the driver’s<br />
seat, so to speak, and we were lucky to have him there.”<br />
In 2008, when oil prices skyrocketed, the value of soy foam<br />
became widely apparent - not only was replacing petroleumbased<br />
polyol with soy beneficial to the environment, it could<br />
also save the company money.<br />
Ford worked tirelessly with other industries to help them<br />
formulate foams that met their specific requirements, like<br />
agriculture, furniture and home goods, allowing them the<br />
chance to also incorporate it into their products - stretching<br />
the environmental benefits even further.<br />
“We knew that putting farm materials into a performance<br />
car like the Mustang could be met with a lot of skepticism,”<br />
said Mielewski. “But we also knew that if we succeeded, the<br />
foam we created could, over time, make a positive impact.”<br />
After the success of soy foam, Ford began the development<br />
of other renewable materials to reinforce plastics in vehicles,<br />
including wheat straw, rice hulls and cellulose fibers from<br />
sustainably grown trees, coconut fibers and kenaf. The<br />
sustainable materials research team is currently working on<br />
approximately 20 other unlikely sustainable candidates for<br />
auto parts - tomato peels, agave fiber (tequila), recycled U.S.<br />
currency, dandelions and algae to name a few. They continue<br />
to work with the USB to develop soy-based materials for<br />
rubber components like tires and gaskets.<br />
“Soy foam was an important first step, but we still have<br />
a lot of work to do,” said Mielewski. “There are many more<br />
opportunities arising to reduce our environmental impact,<br />
and with resources becoming more constrained, it becomes<br />
more important that we explore them.” MT<br />
www.ford.com | unitedsoybean.org<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 17
Polyurethanes / Elastomers<br />
Biobased<br />
thermoplastic<br />
elastomer<br />
compounds<br />
In response to increasing demands for sustainable alternatives<br />
to fossil based flexible polymer compounds, international<br />
compounding group, HEXPOL ® TPE, launched<br />
the Dryflex ® Green family of biobased Thermoplastic Elastomers<br />
(TPE) in 2015. Since then they have continued to develop<br />
the range, adding new possibilities to the biobased<br />
thermoplastic market by covering a wider range of hardnesses<br />
while incorporating high levels of renewable content.<br />
TPEs are often described as the bridge between rubber<br />
and plastics, they combine elasticity, flexibility and softness<br />
similar to rubber with the recyclability and processing<br />
advantages of plastics. Hexpol TPE were among the first<br />
companies to develop TPE compounds in Europe and they<br />
built on their 50 years heritage in the flexible polymers<br />
market in developing their biobased materials. Dryflex<br />
Green TPE compounds are available from 15 Shore A<br />
through to 55 Shore D. The range includes grades with<br />
biobased content over 90 % (ASTM D 6866), achieved by<br />
use of sustainable raw materials and feedstocks such as<br />
sugarcane, with recognised certifications such as ISCC+<br />
and can derive from raw materials such as polymers, fillers,<br />
plasticizers or additives.<br />
For applications wanting a look even closer to nature,<br />
Hexpol TPE has developed compounds using organic fillers<br />
and natural fibres from plants, crops or trees, including<br />
cork, these give an additional ‘organic’ appearance. Cork<br />
is a natural product which comes from the bark of the cork<br />
oak tree. The removal of the bark does not harm the trees<br />
and the bark is only harvested after the first 20 years of<br />
growth. The removal stimulates a steady regeneration of<br />
the bark.<br />
Dryflex Green TPE compounds display mechanical<br />
and physical properties close to and comparable to TPE<br />
compounds from fossil based raw materials. In general<br />
the Dryflex Green compounds show very good bonding<br />
behaviour to PE and PP, special grades with good bonding<br />
to ABS, PET and PLA are also available. Like conventional<br />
TPE compounds, Dryflex Green TPEs can easily be coloured<br />
to give vibrant and appealing visual impact. Grades suitable<br />
for food contact are also available.<br />
Dryflex Green TPE compounds can be used in many<br />
applications that currently use conventional TPE and<br />
flexible polymers, such as soft-touch grips and handles,<br />
sealings, mats and closures, Klas Dannäs, Global R&D<br />
manager at Hexpol TPE commented “We’re seeing some<br />
very interesting development projects for the Dryflex Green<br />
materials; for applications ranging from household goods,<br />
sports equipment and toys to automotive interiors, packaging<br />
and infant care. Our R&D teams are constantly evaluating new<br />
polymer combinations and we have been working closely with<br />
suppliers to develop sustainable and ethical alternatives to<br />
fossil-based polymer compounds.” MT<br />
www.hexpolTPE.com<br />
HEXPOL TPE<br />
worked with Wildo<br />
Sweden AB on the<br />
development of<br />
a biobased TPE<br />
for their iconic<br />
Fold-A-Cup.<br />
Typical Percentage of Bio-Content vs Hardness in Biobased TPEs<br />
Table 1: Typical Properties of Representative Dryflex Green Grades<br />
HARDNESS (1)<br />
ISO 868<br />
BIOBASED<br />
CARBON<br />
CONTENT<br />
% on TOC<br />
ASTM<br />
D6866-12<br />
DENSITY<br />
g/cm³<br />
TENSILE<br />
STRENGTH (2)<br />
MPa<br />
ISO 2781 ISO 37 (Type 1)<br />
ELONGATION<br />
AT BREAK (2)<br />
%<br />
ISO 37<br />
(Type 1)<br />
25 Shore A >40 0.89 1.3 500<br />
40 Shore A >40 0.91 2 410<br />
50 Shore A >80 0.89 5 500<br />
60 Shore A >75 0.91 5 360<br />
70 Shore A >50 0.93 8 700<br />
80 Shore A >80 0.91 6 500<br />
55 Shore D >70 0.94 20 900<br />
(1)<br />
After 15 seconds, (2) Across the flow direction<br />
18 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
©<br />
3,5<br />
actual data<br />
3<br />
2,5<br />
2<br />
1,5<br />
1<br />
0,5<br />
2011 2012 2013<br />
L-LA<br />
Epichlorohydrin<br />
Succinic<br />
1,4-BDO<br />
acid<br />
-Institut.eu | <strong>2017</strong><br />
forecast<br />
2014 2015 2016 <strong>2017</strong> 2018 2019 2020 2021<br />
Sebacic<br />
MEG<br />
Ethylene<br />
1,3-PDO<br />
MPG<br />
Lactide<br />
acid<br />
2,5-FDCA D-LA<br />
11-Aminoundecanoic acid<br />
Adipic<br />
DDDA<br />
acid<br />
Full study available at www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
©<br />
100%<br />
80%<br />
60%<br />
40%<br />
20%<br />
0%<br />
-Institut.eu | <strong>2017</strong><br />
PBS(X)<br />
APC –<br />
cyclic<br />
PA<br />
PET<br />
PTT<br />
PBAT<br />
Starch<br />
Blends<br />
PHA<br />
PLA<br />
PE<br />
Full study available at www.bio-based.eu/markets<br />
©<br />
10<br />
5<br />
0<br />
2011 2012<br />
PUR<br />
PA<br />
-Institut.eu | 2016<br />
actual data<br />
2% of total<br />
polymer capacity,<br />
€13 billion turnover<br />
2013 2014 2015 2016<br />
Epoxies PET<br />
CA<br />
PBS<br />
PBAT PHA<br />
<strong>2017</strong><br />
Starch<br />
Blends<br />
EPDM<br />
2018<br />
PLA<br />
APC<br />
2019 2020<br />
PE<br />
PEF<br />
2021<br />
PTT<br />
Full study available at www.bio-based.eu/markets<br />
Bio-based Polymers & Building Blocks<br />
The best market reports available<br />
Data for<br />
2016<br />
Commercialisation updates on<br />
bio-based building blocks<br />
Standards and labels for<br />
bio-based products<br />
Bio-based polymers, a revolutionary change<br />
Bio-based Building Blocks<br />
and Polymers<br />
Selected bio-based building blocks: Evolution of worldwide<br />
production capacities from 2011 to 2021<br />
Comprehensive trend report on PHA, PLA, PUR/TPU, PA<br />
and polymers based on FDCA and SA: Latest developments,<br />
producers, drivers and lessons learnt<br />
Global Capacities and Trends 2016 – 2021<br />
million t/a<br />
Bio-based polymers, a<br />
revolutionary change<br />
million t/a<br />
Bio-based polymers: Evolution of worldwide<br />
production capacities from 2011 to 2021<br />
Jan Ravenstijn <strong>2017</strong><br />
E-mail: j.ravenstijn@kpnmail.nl<br />
Mobile: +31.6.2247.8593<br />
Picture: Gehr Kunststoffwerk<br />
Author: Doris de Guzman, Tecnon OrbiChem, United Kingdom<br />
July <strong>2017</strong><br />
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at<br />
www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
Authors: Lara Dammer, Michael Carus and Dr. Asta Partanen<br />
nova-Institut GmbH, Germany<br />
May <strong>2017</strong><br />
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at<br />
www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
Author: Jan Ravenstijn, Jan Ravenstijn Consulting, the Netherlands<br />
April <strong>2017</strong><br />
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at<br />
www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
Authors: Florence Aeschelmann (nova-Institute),<br />
Michael Carus (nova-institute) and ten renowned international experts<br />
February <strong>2017</strong><br />
This is the short version of the market study (249 pages, € 2,000).<br />
Both are available at www.bio-based.eu/reports.<br />
Policies impacting bio-based<br />
plastics market development<br />
and plastic bags legislation in Europe<br />
Asian markets for bio-based chemical<br />
building blocks and polymers<br />
Brand Views and Adoption of<br />
Bio-based Polymers<br />
Market study on the consumption<br />
of biodegradable and compostable<br />
plastic products in Europe<br />
2015 and 2020<br />
Share of Asian production capacity on global production by polymer in 2016<br />
A comprehensive market research report including<br />
consumption figures by polymer and application types<br />
as well as by geography, plus analyses of key players,<br />
relevant policies and legislation and a special feature on<br />
biodegradation and composting standards and labels<br />
Bestsellers<br />
Disposable<br />
tableware<br />
Biowaste<br />
bags<br />
Carrier<br />
bags<br />
Rigid<br />
packaging<br />
Flexible<br />
packaging<br />
Authors: Dirk Carrez, Clever Consult, Belgium<br />
Jim Philp, OECD, France<br />
Dr. Harald Kaeb, narocon Innovation Consulting, Germany<br />
Lara Dammer & Michael Carus, nova-Institute, Germany<br />
March <strong>2017</strong><br />
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at<br />
www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
Author: Wolfgang Baltus, Wobalt Expedition Consultancy, Thailand<br />
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at<br />
www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
Author: Dr. Harald Kaeb, narocon Innovation Consulting, Germany<br />
January 2016<br />
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at<br />
www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
Authors: Harald Kaeb (narocon, lead), Florence Aeschelmann,<br />
Lara Dammer, Michael Carus (nova-Institute)<br />
April 2016<br />
The full market study (more than 300 slides, 3,500€) is available at<br />
bio-based.eu/top-downloads.<br />
www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
www.co2-chemistry.eu<br />
Leading Event on<br />
Carbon Capture and Utilisation<br />
15 – 16 March 2018, Cologne (Germany)<br />
Conference Team<br />
Jutta Millich<br />
Partners, Media Partners<br />
+49 (0)0561 503580-44<br />
jutta.millich@nova-institut.de<br />
Dr. Asta Partanen<br />
Sponsoring<br />
+49 (0)2233 4814-59<br />
asta.partanen@nova-institut.de<br />
Achim Raschka<br />
Programme<br />
+49 (0)2233 4814-51<br />
achim.raschka@nova-institut.de<br />
Conference highlights and main topics<br />
• CO 2<br />
for feed – proteins made from carbon dioxide<br />
• CO 2<br />
for platform chemicals and polymers<br />
• CO 2<br />
for future fuels<br />
• CO 2<br />
for aviation kerosene<br />
• Sustainability & climate change<br />
mitigation potential<br />
• Key drivers: renewable energy<br />
& hydrogen production<br />
• Artificial photosynthesis as future technology<br />
• Political framework & visions<br />
Newsticker on<br />
Carbon Capture and Utilisation!<br />
Free access:<br />
www.co2-chemistry.eu/news<br />
www.co2-chemistry.eu<br />
Dominik Vogt<br />
Conference Manager<br />
+49 (0)2233 4814-49<br />
dominik.vogt@nova-institut.de<br />
Venue<br />
Maternushaus<br />
Kardinal-Frings-Str. 1<br />
5<strong>06</strong>68 Cologne<br />
www.maternushaus.de<br />
Organiser<br />
nova-Institut GmbH<br />
Chemiepark Knapsack<br />
Industriestraße 300<br />
50354 Hürth, Germany<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 19
Polyurethanes / Elastomers<br />
Bio-succinic acid:<br />
A frontrunner for high-performance biobased polyurethanes and beyond<br />
Biobased polyurethanes (PU) and packaging are<br />
increasingly being used for consumer goods and becoming<br />
more common in stores and supermarkets. Following this<br />
trend, the platform chemicals required to manufacture<br />
sustainable biomaterials are also becoming more readily<br />
available. Biosuccinium ® , the renewable bio-succinic<br />
acid produced by Dutch biotech company Reverdia<br />
(Geleen), continues to demonstrate strong opportunities<br />
for polyurethanes and bioplastic products. These modern<br />
materials offer enhanced performance for footwear, the<br />
automotive industry and other market sectors.<br />
VAUDE (Tettnang, Germany), a manufacturer of innovative<br />
outdoor products, is already benefiting from the winning<br />
footprint of bio-succinic acid. The company recently<br />
announced that it will reduce its dependency on oil by replacing<br />
conventional materials with those derived from Biosuccinium.<br />
Sustainable footwear with benefits<br />
As a near drop-in for adipic acid, bio-succinic acid can<br />
be used to produce biobased polyester polyols, which have<br />
been well received in the footwear industry. Vaude’s new<br />
Skarvan range of trekking shoes will use Biosucciniumbased<br />
thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) in its shoe toe<br />
caps and heel counters. It is the first time the brand will use<br />
a biobased TPU in its shoes and the range will be available<br />
to consumers in spring 2018.<br />
This is a clear example of how biobased chemicals can<br />
help producers meet growing customer demands for more<br />
sustainable products. Vaude is committed to minimising<br />
the environmental footprint of its products while not<br />
compromising on high-end design and sturdy quality.<br />
The brand has previously demonstrated this by being the<br />
first outdoor company to be certified under the EU’s Ecomanagement<br />
and Audit Scheme (EMAS).<br />
Reverdia views the growing trend of biobased consumer<br />
goods as a positive sign of things to come. High-performance<br />
biobased footwear on store shelves is just one example. In<br />
<strong>2017</strong>, it showcased a range of cutting-edge<br />
Biosuccinium-based polyurethanes at<br />
PSE Europe in Munich, Germany.<br />
These PU prototypes could be used across markets. They<br />
have a significantly reduced environmental footprint due<br />
to the renewable raw materials used and the sustainable<br />
technology which produces the biobased chemicals.<br />
Biobased content reached 60 % in some samples. The<br />
biomaterials can be used for applications such as industrial<br />
components (cast PU), artificial leather (PU dispersion),<br />
footwear products including sole plates (TPU) for soccer<br />
boots and trainers for other field sports, as well as casual<br />
shoe soles (microcellular PU).<br />
In China, Reverdia and Dezhou Xinhuarun Technology<br />
(Xinhuarun) have signed an agreement to jointly develop<br />
and promote microcellular PU foams. Xinhuarun’s products<br />
are exported across Asia, America, Europe and the Middle<br />
East. The manufacturer will work exclusively with Reverdia,<br />
using Biosuccinium in its shoe soles and will expand the<br />
partnership towards development and commercialisation<br />
of other sustainable polymers with excellent functionality<br />
and best-in-class eco-footprint.<br />
One step beyond!<br />
It is not only footwear products which can benefit from<br />
switching to bio-succinic acid. Biosuccinium-based<br />
materials could also offer enhanced performance for the<br />
automotive and aircraft industries. Flexible PU foams<br />
with various densities have been synthesised by partially<br />
replacing traditional polyols with Biosuccinium-based<br />
polyols.<br />
Recently in Italy, the Institute for Polymers, Composites<br />
and Biomaterials (Naples), the Institute for Macromolecular<br />
Studies (Milan) and Adler Plastic (Ottaviano) published<br />
studies showing bio-succinic acid-based flex foam with<br />
improved mechanical and acoustic performance. Amongst<br />
those benefits are a positive effect on the foams’ compressive<br />
performance and their increased sound absorption level.<br />
With these benefits, the foams made with bio-succinic<br />
acid could be considered as potential substitutes to reduce<br />
vibrations and noise pollution and consequently increase<br />
comfort.<br />
Bio-succinic<br />
acid-running<br />
shoes pair<br />
grey green<br />
20 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Polyurethanes / Elastomers<br />
By:<br />
Bio-succinic<br />
acid-Microcellular<br />
PU collage<br />
Lawrence Theunissen<br />
Global Director Application Development<br />
Reverdia, Geleen, The Netherlands<br />
An unrelated<br />
agreement between<br />
Reverdia and Covestro<br />
was announced in 2015 to<br />
jointly develop and promote<br />
TPU based on renewable<br />
raw materials. Covestro<br />
will use Biosuccinium<br />
in the production of its<br />
Desmopan ® -brand TPU<br />
for a variety of applications<br />
beyond footwear, such as apparel and<br />
consumer electronics. Beyond biobased PU,<br />
bio-succinic acid is also enabling leading developments in<br />
plastic packaging and resins.<br />
Developments in sustainable packaging<br />
Polybutylene succinate (PBS) is one of the newest<br />
biopolymers under development for numerous applications<br />
worldwide. Biosuccinium can be used to create PBS for<br />
plastics and packaging. Traditionally, PBS is based on<br />
petrochemical succinic acid and 1,4 butanediol (1,4 BDO).<br />
Petro-based PBS is already biodegradable. However,<br />
Biosuccinium can boost PBS’s biobased content, making it<br />
even more sustainable.<br />
PBS has a range of interesting properties including<br />
flexibility and heat resistance. The material can be used<br />
as a matrix polymer or as a modifier to be combined with<br />
another chemical such as polylactic acid (PLA). PBS offers<br />
opportunities for a wide range of applications like food<br />
packaging, coffee cups, paper lamination, agricultural<br />
mulch films, non woven, electrics and electronics, and<br />
automotive interiors.<br />
In order to further broaden the application scope for PBS,<br />
Reverdia operates a joint development programme with<br />
Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research on biobased<br />
PBS compounds for injection moulding. The research pays<br />
close attention to the longevity, appearance and processing<br />
characteristics. Plastic<br />
product manufacturers<br />
will also play a key role<br />
in the testing process<br />
in order to validate these<br />
new compounds for reusable<br />
horticultural crates and rigid<br />
food packaging with hinges. The<br />
final biomaterials are predicted to<br />
demonstrate an improved carbon footprint<br />
in comparison to the polypropylene typically<br />
used for these applications.<br />
Bio-succinic acid for resins<br />
Paint and coating manufacturers can increase the<br />
biobased content of their resins by using Biosuccinium.<br />
Solvents and coalescing agents based on bio-succinic acid<br />
also allow for reduced levels of volatile organic compounds<br />
(VOCs) in their formulations, addressing continuously<br />
stricter government and industry regulations.<br />
Investment in superior biobased resins is growing, as is<br />
the demand for more sustainable products across the value<br />
chain. Biosuccinium is a near drop-in for adipic and phthalic<br />
acids and has applications in a wide range of products.<br />
Product finishes, special purpose coatings and structural<br />
materials are just a few examples.<br />
Alkyd paints which use bio-succinic acid are already on<br />
the market. Mäder (Lille, France), the leading producer of<br />
paints and coatings, recently launched a range of biobased<br />
paints using Biosuccinium under the CAMI brand. The<br />
CADÉLI range includes two EU Ecolabel-certified products<br />
with extra functionalities: anti-microbial interior paint and<br />
depolluting (anti-formaldehyde) interior paint.<br />
Both of the paints are 98 % biobased and use a combination<br />
of Biosuccinium and Roquette’s POLYSORB isosorbide. The<br />
formulation allows for specific physical properties, such as<br />
hardness and scratch resistance.<br />
Bio-succinic<br />
acid-Reverdia &<br />
Wageningen UR<br />
have developed<br />
durable PBS based<br />
on Biosuccinium.<br />
Picture courtesy of<br />
RPC Promens<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 21
www.pu-magazine.com<br />
Polyurethanes / Elastomers<br />
SPM-FLP-639 Flex Foam Ad_145x165mm.indd 1<br />
03/<strong>2017</strong> JUNE/JULY<br />
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and acoustics. You’ll have the flexibility to meet desired designs while<br />
trimming weight to more easily meet MPG and environmental goals.<br />
Plus, it’s nonflammable and U.S. EPA SNAP-listed.<br />
Learn more at honeywell-blowingagents.com or 1-800-631-8138.<br />
© <strong>2017</strong> Honeywell International Inc. All rights reserved.<br />
5/8/17 10:41 AM<br />
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Volume 8, May <strong>2017</strong><br />
Going the distance<br />
Whether for footwear, furnishings, packaging or<br />
paint, industry leadership is crucial for biobased<br />
plastic to compete with traditional petro-based<br />
products. New materials must be competitive and<br />
provide enhanced product specifications while also<br />
delivering sustainability advantages. Many modern<br />
materials derived from bio-succinic acid can<br />
outperform petro-based equivalents. With further<br />
incentives and industry buy-in, they can provide a<br />
significant impact.<br />
This is why Reverdia works with brand owners<br />
and manufacturers towards truly sustainable<br />
products. It will keep building on its partnerships to<br />
co-develop innovative high-performance solutions<br />
throughout the value chain. Brand owners, original<br />
equipment manufacturers and chemical companies<br />
are becoming increasingly aware of Biosuccinium’s<br />
potential to unlock and mainstream sustainable<br />
products.<br />
Innovative biomaterials<br />
Reverdia has been enabling innovative biobased materials<br />
since 2010. A joint venture between Royal DSM, the Dutch<br />
global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company and<br />
Roquette Frères, the French global starch and starchderivatives<br />
company, Reverdia was created to produce and<br />
commercialise bio-succinic acid, marketed under the brand<br />
name Biosuccinium.<br />
Having opened the world’s first dedicated, commercialscale<br />
biorefinery for the production of renewable succinic acid<br />
in 2012, Reverdia supplies worldwide. Its production plant in<br />
Italy continues to use a patented fermentation technology<br />
with a best-in-class environmental footprint.<br />
Biosuccinium is a biobased alternative to traditional diacids<br />
used in the production of plastics and other materials.<br />
Thanks to its biobased content and Reverdia’s game-changing<br />
technology, bio-succinic acid has a carbon footprint which is<br />
half that of petro-based succinic acid and up to 90% lower<br />
than adipic acid.<br />
www.reverdia.com<br />
SEEING POLYMERS<br />
WITH DIFFERENT EYES...<br />
Biokraftstoffkompatibilität von FKM<br />
Silica/silane reaction mechanism<br />
self-healing tpu<br />
POLYURETHANES MAGAZINE INTERNATIONAL<br />
Trim The Weight,<br />
Not The Comfort<br />
Interviews: ISL-Chemie, Dow, Magna, Vencorex<br />
PSE Europe <strong>2017</strong> preview<br />
High temperature foam<br />
PIR insulation<br />
CNSL-based polyols<br />
Blowing Agents<br />
FORUM FÜR DIE POLYURETHANINDUSTRIE<br />
www.pu-magazin.de<br />
PU MAGAZIN<br />
Strukture le Faserverbundbauteile<br />
PU-basierte Bedachungsmaterialien<br />
Polyole auf CNSL-Basis<br />
Polyesterpolyole<br />
Interview mit G. Burrow, Magna<br />
Führende Köpfe für führende Lösungen<br />
Pultrusion neu gedacht<br />
Relaxed Extrusion<br />
PEEK-PTFE-cg-Materialien<br />
Fachmagazin für die Polymerindustrie<br />
Peroxidvernetzung<br />
INNOVATIVE<br />
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Volume 12, July <strong>2017</strong><br />
03| <strong>2017</strong><br />
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review: high-temperature tpe<br />
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Our technical magazines and books create your expertise<br />
22 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12<br />
Tel. +49 2102 9345-0 · Fax +49 2102 9345-20<br />
www.gupta-verlag.com
New biobased lactide<br />
polyester polyols<br />
By:<br />
Bill Coggio<br />
Application and Technology<br />
Development Manager<br />
Performance Chemicals Division<br />
NatureWorks, Minnetonka, USA<br />
NatureWorks Introduces new Vercet biobased lactide polyester<br />
polyols as reactive intermediates for urethane adhesives and coatings<br />
NatureWorks (Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA), known for its<br />
broad portfolio of renewably-sourced PLA polymers under<br />
the Ingeo brand, recently formed a Performance Chemicals<br />
Division to supply lactides, polyols, binder resins, and chemical<br />
intermediates to companies that manufacture coatings, adhesives,<br />
sealants, elastomers, toners, and fine chemicals products.<br />
Vercet is the brand name of the company’s new tunable<br />
platform of lactide-based chemistries. Vercet polyols are<br />
customizable and provide excellent hardness, solvent<br />
resistance, and low color in polyurethanes. Alkyd resins for<br />
coatings made using Vercet lactides can significantly reduce<br />
resin viscosity enabling low volatile organic compound (VOC)<br />
formulations for solvent-borne alkyd coatings for wood and<br />
metal. Furthermore, these alkyd coatings exhibit excellent<br />
adhesion and show improved abrasion and impact resistance.<br />
Solvent-borne coatings and hot melt adhesives utilizing Vercet<br />
intermediate resins have a tunable work life and viscosity<br />
range with excellent adhesion to metal and plastics.<br />
High bio-content reactive intermediates for<br />
polyurethane adhesives and coatings<br />
Vercet polyols are easily customized to control key properties<br />
that impact performance in polyurethanes. Controlled Vercet<br />
product properties include hydroxyl functionality, viscosity, glass<br />
transition temperature (Tg), compatibility, and solubility. Vercet<br />
polyols are easily converted into urethane thermoplastics via a<br />
direct reaction with an isocyanate and chain extender, which means<br />
Fig 2: Film coated with Vercet-based urethane coating shows high<br />
transparency and low haze<br />
these new chemistries will be easily substituted for non-biobased<br />
intermediates. They can also be made into isocyanate prepolymers<br />
to facilitate formulation flexibility for use in 1K and 2K reactive<br />
thermoset urethane systems. In reactive hot melt adhesives, Vercet<br />
polyols offer excellent adhesion and are tuned to improve green<br />
strength shortening component assembly in applications involving<br />
wood or plastic products.<br />
Vercet polyurethane systems for both coatings and adhesives<br />
exhibit superior oil resistance, modulus, adhesion, and gloss<br />
compared to a non-biobased control polyester.<br />
Vercet polyurethane coatings on metal and plastic demonstrated<br />
excellent adhesion even when used with no adhesion promoter and<br />
thus offer formulators the potential to simplify formulations and<br />
reduce system costs.<br />
Since NatureWorks uses biobased feedstocks to produce the<br />
Vercet lactides, polyols, and resins the company does not have the<br />
price volatility and supply chain pinch points of traditional coating<br />
and adhesive components.<br />
www.vercet.natureworksllc.com<br />
Fig 1: Vercet lactide-based polyurethanes show notable<br />
resistance to hydrocarbon oil, vegetable oil, and hexane,<br />
a common non-polar organic solvent.<br />
10%<br />
8%<br />
6%<br />
4%<br />
2%<br />
10 DAY WT%<br />
SOLVENT<br />
PICK-UP<br />
0%<br />
-2%<br />
IRM 903 OIL CANOLA OIL N-HEXANE WATER<br />
CONTROL 10.00% 4.50% 1.50% 0.60%<br />
P2040X -0.20% 0.20% 0.60% 0.90%<br />
P2140X 0.10% 0.00% 0.10% 1.00%<br />
Wt% data collected 68˚C<br />
Table 1: Urethane coatings made with Vercet lactide polyols show excellent hardness and adhesion. They are made with a high level of bio-content.<br />
Sample<br />
60° Gloss<br />
85°<br />
Gloss<br />
X-Adhesion<br />
König<br />
Hardness<br />
Pencil Hardness<br />
Biobased Carbon Content<br />
Uncoated Metal 83 22 NA 220 sec NA -<br />
PU Control 40 71<br />
PU w/ Vercet Polyol 95 88<br />
• Solvent borne TPU coated on metal Q panels<br />
• Ethyl acetate ~20% solids, bar coated DFT ~ 30<br />
um thick<br />
1B<br />
(35-65% loss)<br />
5B<br />
(no loss)<br />
• RT dried, no crosslinking reagent<br />
• Biobased carbon content is calculated<br />
45 sec
Polyurethanes/Elastomers<br />
Injection molders who have<br />
made bioplastics work<br />
Summary<br />
Bioplastics have a problematic reputation among injection<br />
molders because running them in the past has been - in<br />
some cases - both cumbersome and expensive. However,<br />
many modern bioplastics do not exhibit the troubling<br />
qualities of their predecessors and can now run through<br />
the injection molding process similarly to traditional<br />
petroleum-based plastics. The author spoke with four<br />
injection molders in North America who have successfully<br />
worked with bioplastics to gauge their thoughts on the<br />
material’s performance.<br />
How has the relationship between injection<br />
molders and bioplastics changed?<br />
Injection molders have had issues with bioplastics in the<br />
past because certain materials were expensive and not<br />
compatible with existing equipment. These issues forced<br />
injection molders at times to purchase new equipment and<br />
even make fundamental and expensive changes to their<br />
processes. As a result, bioplastics now have a problematic<br />
reputation among injection molders, who are wary of using<br />
them in their facilities.<br />
However, bioplastics have since evolved and most of them<br />
can now seamlessly replace certain traditional petroleumbased<br />
plastics. The four interviewed injection molders<br />
provided valuable and promising insights on what working<br />
with bioplastics entails. Although each had technical issues<br />
at the initial stages, they were eventually able to run the<br />
materials successfully in their respective facilities.<br />
Matt Poischbeg, an injection molder at Sea-Lect Design<br />
(Everett, Washington, USA), was enthusiastic about<br />
experimenting with different bioplastics due to the possible<br />
competitive advantages they could offer to customers. He<br />
found out about Green Dot Bioplastics five years ago at an<br />
outdoor retailer expo in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Poischbeg<br />
said the company caught his attention because he “…was<br />
amazed that they had a flexible compostable plastic.” He<br />
had heard of compostable biodegradable plastics but had<br />
never seen elastomeric materials. Poischbeg experimented<br />
with the flexible compostable plastic material for kayak<br />
manufacturers but had to forgo the project due to a lack of<br />
demand.<br />
However, he successfully developed a compostable<br />
luggage tags for Pearl Jam with Green Dot Bioplastic’s<br />
Terratek Flex (a biodegradable elastomer) and Terratek BD<br />
(a biodegradable bioplastic) and is eager to continue<br />
experimenting with different materials. Poischbeg’s<br />
enthusiasm parallels the prediction made by the European<br />
Bioplastics Association (source: Plastics Today) that<br />
biobased and biodegradable plastics will see an increase<br />
in global demand.<br />
Should injection molders experiment with<br />
bioplastics?<br />
While it is understandable why companies want to stick<br />
with established plastic materials, experimenting with new<br />
ones can be rewarding. Hal Alameddine, the President<br />
of Pike’s Peak Plastics (Colorado Springs,Colorado,<br />
USA), successfully worked with a Terratek Biocomposite<br />
composed of bio-based polyethylene derived from<br />
sugarcane and corncob fibers to develop Eco-Rigs for Begin<br />
Again Toys, which was licensed by John Deere. Alameddine<br />
said, “It’s a good material to run. We didn’t feel that we<br />
needed to make major adjustments to our current process<br />
with respect to running standard polyethylene. This one was<br />
a little trickier because of the addition of the corncob into<br />
it. But in general, I would say it ran as well as any other<br />
material.”<br />
Initial challenges are not uncommon. Reed Hardgrave,<br />
an injection molder at Ferguson Production (McPherson,<br />
Kansas, USA), initially experienced some difficulty with<br />
bioplastic resins expressing desirable end properties.<br />
However, he eventually found success with a wood plastic<br />
composite used to mold toys, replicating the aesthetics of<br />
wood.<br />
Technical considerations<br />
Injection molders who are apprehensive about the<br />
compatibility of bioplastics with existing equipment can be<br />
confident that most modern materials don’t require any<br />
inconvenient specifications.<br />
Kevin Godsey, an injection molder at Mid-Continent<br />
Tool and Molding, Inc. (North Kansas City, Missouri,<br />
USA), made compostable dog-waste dispensers with a<br />
starch-based elastomer. He emphasized that although<br />
a lower temperature profile was required for the heatsensitive<br />
elastomers, the adjustments weren’t beyond<br />
standard protocol. In fact, cycle times fell within the norm<br />
and even the drying times, which have been a pain point<br />
for injection molders, weren’t an inconvenience since he<br />
only had to account for surface moisture. Despite having<br />
initial challenges, Godsey stated that the material was still<br />
“moldable and very user friendly.”<br />
What are some of the benefits of working with<br />
bioplastics?<br />
Based off of the experiences of the injection molders the<br />
author spoke with, it is clear that the right bioplastic can<br />
be molded with minimal technical issues. Hence, it could<br />
be productive for injection molders to at least experiment<br />
with different bioplastic resins so they can determine for<br />
themselves if the materials are in fact user friendly.<br />
24 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Polyurethanes/Elastomers<br />
By:<br />
Kevin Ireland<br />
Communications Manager<br />
Green Dot Bioplastics<br />
Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, USA<br />
Injection molders should think about<br />
experimenting and potentially working with<br />
bioplastics because:<br />
• Most modern bioplastics can be seamlessly incorporated<br />
into the injection molding process and no additional<br />
equipment is needed to accommodate the materials.<br />
• They could diversify options for their customers,<br />
especially since Grand View Research (San Francisco,<br />
California, USA) found that bioplastics are projected<br />
to control 5 % market share of the plastics industry by<br />
2020.<br />
• Bioplastics provide customers with unique advertising<br />
opportunities since many materials offer unique<br />
performance properties and – in addition – sustainability<br />
advantages.<br />
Small learning curve<br />
Although most bioplastics are compatible with existing<br />
molding equipment and processes, injection molders still<br />
need to experiment with different materials to figure out<br />
technical details such as cycle and drying times. Of course,<br />
this means the initial stages won’t be perfect.<br />
However, each of the interviewed injection molders<br />
emphasized that the learning curve was not steep and that<br />
they were ultimately able to run the materials with minimal<br />
hitches. For example, Godsey noted that scrap rates were<br />
somewhat high at the initial stages but quickly got them<br />
back within a standard ratio. When we asked Hardgrave<br />
if he had issues integrating bioplastics into his current<br />
operation, he noted that “venting is a big one. If [bioplastics]<br />
don’t vent, plating can become blackened.” Ultimately,<br />
Hardgrave was able to overcome his venting challenge and<br />
made accommodations for it whenever he was working with<br />
bioplastics.<br />
Injection molders can now confidently experiment and<br />
eventually work with many different bioplastics and many<br />
are optimistic about the demand of the materials in the<br />
coming years.<br />
www.greendotbioplastics.com<br />
Photo: Courtesy BeginAgain<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 25
Polyurethanes / Elastomers<br />
Sugar for extra grip<br />
Kuraray unveils biobased elastomer Septon Bio<br />
Fig. 1: Getting a grip: The new<br />
copolymer Septon Bio from<br />
Kuraray displays high grip and<br />
non-slip properties on wet and dry<br />
surfaces.<br />
Kuraray Europe (Hattersheim, Germany) is unveiling<br />
Septon TM Bio, its new bio-based thermoplastic elastomer.<br />
The hydrogenated styrene farnesene block copolymer<br />
(HSFC) is the outcome of collaboration between specialty<br />
chemicals producer Kuraray and bio-science company<br />
Amyris (Emeryville, California, USA). Septon Bio can be used<br />
in a multitude of applications, needs only small quantities of<br />
plasticizer, and is particularly easy to process thanks to its<br />
special properties.<br />
Cycle handlebar grips have to provide a firm handhold,<br />
nonwoven fabrics have to be elastic, and sports shoes have to be<br />
effective in absorbing impact. Special thermoplastic elastomers<br />
(TPEs) make these properties possible. They are put to use in<br />
a variety of applications such as fibers, composite materials<br />
and coatings and have to be highly elastic, and tear- and heatresistant.<br />
International specialty chemicals manufacturer<br />
Kuraray has developed its Septon TPE series for this purpose. The<br />
hydrogenated styrene di- and triblock copolymers with their high<br />
flowability are easy to process and highly elastic and are used as<br />
the basic polymers for a broad variety of products and for polymer<br />
modification. Kuraray is now presenting Septon Bio, a TPE that is<br />
bio-based while exhibiting the wide-ranging benefits of the Septon<br />
series.<br />
Kuraray has developed the new Septon Bio TPE in cooperation<br />
with US bio-science company Amyris. The copolymer is based on<br />
beta-farnesene, a renewable monomer from Amyris derived from<br />
biological raw materials. “During fermentation, special strains<br />
of yeast convert sources of sugar such as sugarcane into betafarnesene,”<br />
explains Jan-Sebastian Weber, Marketing and Sales<br />
Manager at Kuraray. “The hydrogenated styrene farnesene block<br />
copolymer (HSFC) is then produced from the beta-farnesene.”<br />
After polymerization, the farnesene has a special chemical<br />
structure.<br />
More Flexible, More Elastic and Easier to Process<br />
than HSBC<br />
Thanks to its characteristic structure, HSFC has unique<br />
properties and hence distinct advantages over conventional<br />
hydrogenated styrene block copolymers (HSBC). HSFC Septon Bio<br />
has a lower viscosity than conventional styrene block copolymers<br />
and at the same time a high loss factor (tan delta) over a large<br />
temperature range. Septon Bio therefore shows much better flow<br />
behavior than comparable copolymers. In addition, Septon Bio has<br />
very good adhesive properties, again over a broad temperature<br />
range. The new copolymer is thus easy to process and suitable for<br />
numerous applications in a wide-range of sectors.<br />
• Septon Bio facilitates outstanding grip in wet and dry<br />
conditions. This makes the copolymer an excellent choice<br />
for sports and household articles, footwear and industrial<br />
applications.<br />
• Septon Bio is extra-elastic and features low tensile strength.<br />
In addition, it has an extremely low compression set and<br />
thus deforms very little even after long-term exposure to<br />
compression. This makes the copolymer highly compatible<br />
with such processes as melt-spinning for nonwoven fabrics<br />
and extrusion for elastic films.<br />
• Septon Bio can be released easily and without residues – ideal<br />
for use in protective films.<br />
• Its particularly high damping effect is<br />
exhibited over a broad temperature<br />
range. This makes Septon Bio the ideal<br />
raw material for products in which sound<br />
or vibration absorption is important, such<br />
as in sports shoes.<br />
• At the same time, HSFC Septon Bio is<br />
much less rigid than HSBC polymers.<br />
Consequently, less plasticizer is necessary in<br />
the processing of Septon Bio. This prevents<br />
oil migrating to the product surface (oil<br />
bleeding). The original rigidity and non-slip<br />
properties of products containing Septon Bio<br />
are retained in the long term.<br />
Thanks to its extensive positive characteristics, Septon Bio<br />
can be used in a large variety of areas, such as in adhesives and<br />
composites, sealants, gels, foams, films, fibers and nonwoven<br />
fabrics as well as in applications calling for high grip. MT<br />
www.kuraray.eu<br />
Fig. 3:<br />
Renewable<br />
raw materials:<br />
The biological<br />
component<br />
of the new<br />
copolymer<br />
Septon Bio –<br />
beta-farnesene<br />
from Amyris<br />
– is produced<br />
from sugar<br />
sources such<br />
as sugarcane.<br />
400%<br />
350%<br />
300%<br />
250%<br />
200%<br />
150%<br />
100%<br />
50%<br />
0%<br />
Hardness<br />
MFR<br />
Active site<br />
PSt<br />
SEPTON Bio-series (HSFC)<br />
Elongation<br />
Permanent Set<br />
Sugarcane<br />
ϐ - Farnesene<br />
Poly (ϐ - Farnesene)<br />
Compression Set @ RT<br />
Rebound resilience<br />
Fig. 2: Sticking tight:<br />
Septon Bio, the new<br />
bio-based copolymer<br />
from Kuraray, has<br />
very good adhesive<br />
properties and is<br />
therefore ideal<br />
for adhesives and<br />
composites.<br />
Fig. 4: Versatile: Septon Bio, the new bio-based styrene farnesene<br />
block copolymer (HSFC) from Kuraray, has numerous advantages<br />
over conventional styrene block copolymers (HSBC), such as very low<br />
compression set and low rigidity.<br />
SEPTON Bio-series (HSFC)<br />
Coefficient of static friction (Dry)<br />
Coefficient of static friction (Wet)<br />
PSt<br />
26 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Processing<br />
Optimize processability<br />
of bioplastics<br />
Working closely with sustainability partner, Dynisco,<br />
(Franklin, Massachusetts, USA,) Glycon Corp. (Tecumseh,<br />
Michigan, USA,) has incorporated Dynisco’s<br />
breakthrough technology in analytical instrumentation<br />
known as the Dynisco ViscoIndicator Online Rheometer into<br />
their screw design protocol. The ViscoIndicator provides<br />
continuous measurements of melt flow rates, apparent<br />
viscosity or intrinsic viscosity directly on the Glycon lab extruder.<br />
Dynisco aims to provide a window into the process<br />
for processors of all sizes in order to simplify rheology and<br />
improve quality and profitability. Glycon is maximizing this<br />
information by utilizing it in their screw design protocol to<br />
determine the best type of screw to run any bioplastic, composite,<br />
or blend of materials, as well as to determine the<br />
specific geometry and flight configuration of the feedscrew.<br />
Glycon has been designing feedscrews for the plastics<br />
processing industry for over 40 years. Whether the process is<br />
extrusion, injection molding or blow molding, the feedscrew<br />
design has a major effect on the quality and quantity of the<br />
end product being produced.<br />
As more bioplastics that have a favorable impact on the<br />
environment are introduced, key factors in their acceptability<br />
by manufacturers will be cost and processability. With<br />
accurate rheological data on the material, whether it be<br />
virgin material in pellet form, a blend of virgin or re-grind,<br />
a composite of plant based and recycled or even recovered<br />
ocean plastics, accurate rheological data, combined with<br />
Glycon’s experience and state-of-the-art instrumentation in<br />
their Innovation Lab, will provide the critical link to maximize<br />
output rates, provide a homogeneous mix and deliver a high<br />
quality melt on the new polymers being introduced.<br />
Protocol for developing Bio-Screw ® designs<br />
1. Obtain and review material data sheets.<br />
2. Analyze and determine material form and bulk density.<br />
3. Establish processing goals and objectives.<br />
- desired output rate<br />
- discharge pressure<br />
- discharge melt temperature<br />
4. Select processing conditions based on processing<br />
goals.<br />
- screw speeds<br />
- feeding rate- barrel temperatures<br />
5. Select screw type and geometry.<br />
- conventionally flighted metering screw<br />
- barrier screw<br />
- distributive mix/melt screw<br />
- grooved or smooth feed<br />
- mixers required<br />
6. Run material(s) monitoring:<br />
- temperature<br />
- pressure<br />
- apparent/intrinsic viscosity<br />
- melt flow rate<br />
- shear rate<br />
- viscosity at different shear rates<br />
- shear sensitivity<br />
7. If more than one material is tested, run a comparative<br />
analysis.<br />
8. Optimize performance:<br />
- adjust temperature profile<br />
- adjust head pressure<br />
- adjust screw speed<br />
- change/modify feedscrew<br />
9. Prepare a detailed report on the test including:<br />
- number of trials<br />
- temperatures and screw speeds<br />
- horsepower<br />
- lb or kg/hr/rpm<br />
- torque<br />
- energy consumption<br />
- melt quality<br />
10. Generate a screw design recommendation.<br />
The Innovation Lab, equipped with Dynisco’s ViscoIndicator,<br />
gives Glycon state-of-the-art capability specifically targeted<br />
at sustainable materials and the circular economy. With live<br />
streaming available, material tests can be viewed around<br />
the globe in real time. MT<br />
www.glycon.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 27
Material News<br />
New water soluble film<br />
As a result of its customer focused research and development,<br />
Mondi’s technical films business has<br />
created and introduced a water soluble film for the<br />
smart and convenient packing and dosing of powders, tabs<br />
and granulates. Dissolving completely in water, the film is<br />
ideal for single doses of dry materials, such as dishwasher<br />
and laundry tabs or bath salts. The water soluble film is an<br />
example how customers benefit from Mondi’s synergized<br />
research and development strategies having its core competencies<br />
in areas such as plastic films, packaging, paper<br />
and coating brought together under one roof.<br />
The film offers excellent sealing and deep drawing<br />
properties, provides an effective barrier to oxygen and is<br />
completely soluble even in cold water. Consumers are also<br />
protected from direct contact with the contents, which<br />
adds an extra layer of safety. Customers can bolster their<br />
sustainable credentials too, through the environmental<br />
benefits water soluble films provide compared to standard<br />
plastic films. In addition to reducing overall packaging<br />
waste, the films are also considered to be biodegradable,<br />
non-toxic and non-inhibitory.<br />
Oliver Sperber, Chief Innovation Officer at Mondi<br />
Consumer Packaging (Gronau, Germany), comments:<br />
“Mondi’s water soluble film provides several layers of<br />
benefits for both brands and their customers alike. Our<br />
committed application engineers are able to customise the<br />
film according to customers’ specific needs, in addition to<br />
providing all of the necessary on-site support required to<br />
successfully launch a product using this material. Mondi’s<br />
pedigree as a packaging provider, with a broad portfolio<br />
across many industries, means new product possibilities<br />
are being presented on an ongoing basis. Interplay between<br />
central and local R&D and Innovation teams, in partnership<br />
with our customers even on-site if required, is key to this.”<br />
One such collaboration relates to flow pack film tabs for<br />
dishwashing applications. Through a collaborative effort<br />
between the customer and Mondi’s R&D and Innovation<br />
teams, packaging innovation is brought to the next level.<br />
This is made possible through specialist teams combining<br />
market-specific knowledge and their ability to develop<br />
the ideas that result from this process, coupled with the<br />
fact that on-site support can be provided from conception<br />
through to completion of a project.<br />
While Mondi’s water soluble films are particularly<br />
suited to the home and personal care market, a number<br />
of applications in other sectors are continuing to emerge.<br />
Agrochemical packaging, for fertilizer, sowing and<br />
disinfectants, for example, is a major area of interest, as is<br />
the building and construction sector – where the films can<br />
be used as liner for bags in the cement industry. MT<br />
www.mondigroup.com<br />
Mondi’s water-soluble film<br />
offers a smart, convenient<br />
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28 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Tel: (852) 2811 8897 (Hong Kong) Email: chinaplas.PR@adsale.com.hk Adsale Plastics Website: www.AdsaleCPRJ.com Adsale Group: www.adsale.com.hk<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 29
Materials<br />
Biobased adhesives:<br />
Requirements and perspective<br />
By:<br />
Horst Beck and Andreas Taden<br />
Henkel - Adhesive Research / Bio-Renewables Platform<br />
Düsseldorf, Germany<br />
Biobased adhesives literally constitute an ancient material<br />
class. Already 200.000 years ago Neanderthals<br />
identified birch pitch as valuable adhesive material,<br />
which can be obtained from the bark via pyrolysis under the<br />
absence of oxygen – a non-obvious and quite sophisticated<br />
technological process [1]. Being liquid at higher temperatures<br />
it solidifies under ambient conditions and was eventually<br />
used throughout the ages (stone and metal ages)<br />
as hotmelt glue to fasten arrowheads or metal tools onto<br />
wooden shafts (Figure 1).<br />
In the more recent Sumerian and Egyptian history<br />
animal-based proteins – especially animal skin, blood<br />
(Albumin), fish glues from air bladders and casein from<br />
milk – and starch-based binders appeared as the first<br />
truly industrial adhesives produced on larger scale.<br />
However, during the 20 th century biobased adhesives lost<br />
their predominant importance, which is closely related to<br />
the scientific progress in synthetic polymer chemistry and<br />
the development of phenolic resins, epoxides, acrylics,<br />
polyurethanes, silicones, etc. Numerous fossil-based<br />
high performance adhesives, typically designed and<br />
optimized for one specific application with an individual<br />
set of requirements, eventually replaced most biobased<br />
systems. Apart from pure performance considerations the<br />
steadier and hence more calculable raw material quality<br />
and cost of supply of synthetic fossil-based compounds<br />
did foster this development over the last decades. On the<br />
contrary, recent progress in biotechnology enables the<br />
green production of bio-renewable platform chemicals and<br />
specific design of functional proteins & peptides, which is<br />
expected to significantly impact adhesive development and<br />
create numerous new possibilities and applications. In this<br />
context this contribution aims to discuss the requirements<br />
and perspective of biobased adhesives in our modern world.<br />
Hurdles and drivers<br />
Recently biobased adhesives regained a lot of attention.<br />
As most obvious driver increased sustainability might<br />
appear, i.e. the content of renewable carbon. However, this<br />
one-dimensional perspective has too many shortcomings<br />
and cannot substitute a comprehensive life cycle analysis<br />
survey. Renewable carbon content is not interchangeable<br />
with reduced carbon dioxide footprint, and neither are<br />
biobased components necessarily biodegradable materials<br />
or less dangerous in terms of safety & health. With respect<br />
to the above mentioned advantages of synthetic adhesives,<br />
the regained focus on biobased adhesives can only be put<br />
into perspective and justified considering a larger context<br />
of requirements in our modern world. Furthermore the<br />
current regulations and trends in chemistry, like costintensive<br />
registration of new chemicals (REACH, TSCA, etc.)<br />
or the anticipated long-term price stability of crude oil, are<br />
opposing to ongoing biobased research efforts. Additional<br />
issues are insecure availability and potential food to fuel<br />
dilemma of biorenewables.<br />
Initially the drop-in approach, which simply involves the<br />
one-to-one replacement of petro-based molecules with<br />
otherwise chemically identical biobased substances, was<br />
seen as fast track methodology towards a more sustainable<br />
value chain. Unfortunately significant market shares were<br />
never achieved, mainly due to higher cost levels [2]. Two<br />
further aspects have to be considered in this context: 1.) In<br />
order to make a meaningful market claim, the composition<br />
of the complete formulation should be close to 100 %<br />
biobased content. 2.) The customer awareness for biobased<br />
adhesives is relatively low, especially when the adhesive<br />
remains a rather invisible part of the finished product,<br />
like in cars, handheld devices, etc. An additional hurdle<br />
for biobased adhesives is the relatively small market size<br />
and the different technological requirements compared<br />
to plastics, which leads many bio-related companies to<br />
focus on high molecular weight polymers as thermoplastic<br />
materials for construction, transportation or packaging. In<br />
contrast to that adhesive formulations are typically based<br />
on low molecular weight (reactive) precursors which are<br />
liquid or enable a low melt viscosity as starting point for<br />
the consecutive setting process (curing reaction). As a<br />
consequence the availability of biobased raw materials<br />
which are suited or even especially designed for adhesives<br />
so far remains limited.<br />
Performance as key contribution<br />
In some niche areas bio-polymer adhesives escaped their<br />
replacement by petro-based materials because of a very<br />
good fit to the requirements, selected examples include<br />
starches as adhesive in the manufacturing of corrugated<br />
paper boards, cellulose- and starch ethers for wallpaper<br />
glues or rheology modifiers in cement-based formulations<br />
and casein as bottle-labelling adhesive with fast setting<br />
behavior even on wet and cold bottles. It seems that within<br />
this complex framework of requirements and constraints<br />
(see “hurdles and drivers”) the terms for the development<br />
30 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Materials<br />
Figure 1: Arrowhead mounted onto a wooden shaft supported<br />
by birch pitch as “Neanderthal hotmelt adhesive”. This biobased<br />
glue was used throughout the ages for ca. 200.000 years. The<br />
picture shows is a replica made by Henkel Adhesive Research<br />
of new biobased adhesives are surprisingly clear – simple<br />
drop-in alternatives cannot prevail, and the key to success<br />
can only be significantly increased performance benefits<br />
originating from novel low to medium molecular weight<br />
species.<br />
Unfortunately, as stressed out above and closing the<br />
loop to the introduction, most biobased adhesives became<br />
substituted due to a lack of performance compared to<br />
synthetic polymer systems. However, the amazing ability<br />
of Mother Nature to undergo strong and sometimes<br />
highly specific bonding under ambient conditions was not<br />
recognized and valued adequately, mainly due to the absence<br />
of modern analytical capabilities. Furthermore, industrial<br />
or so-called white biotechnology was basically unknown<br />
for the synthesis of biobased platform chemicals. Today<br />
more attention is paid to safety, health and environment<br />
(SHE), e.g. reduction or elimination of undesired volatile<br />
organic compounds (VOC) like organic solvents or residual<br />
monomers, and adhesive performance becomes evaluated<br />
in a more comprehensive manner, including sustainability<br />
and life circle analysis supplementing the well-established<br />
purely application dependent technical specifications.<br />
In order to achieve new performance levels in the various<br />
dimensions interdisciplinary thinking is required, which lead<br />
to the employment of biotechnological synthesis methods<br />
for novel raw materials, the development of hybrid systems<br />
and biomimetic binders. As will be explained the unique<br />
synthesis and interaction capabilities found in nature<br />
enable new-to-the-word systems with unprecedented<br />
property combinations. In the following selected examples<br />
will be briefly introduced.<br />
Novel platform chemicals via biotechnology<br />
Biotechnology is known to humankind for thousands of<br />
years, but only in the late 20 th and early 21 st centuries it<br />
developed in a thriving discipline with previously unmatched<br />
synthetic possibilities supported by genomics and<br />
recombinant gene design. White biotechnology works by<br />
engineering living cells into micro-factories that — by using<br />
sugars, starches or even lignocellulosic-based biomass<br />
as a feedstock rather than traditional petrochemicals —<br />
produce valuable products via fermentation that can<br />
function as stand-alone products (e.g. enzymes, fuels)<br />
or serve as platform chemicals for further downstream<br />
processing.<br />
In 2004 the DOE (US Department of Energy) [3] published<br />
an overview about so-called platform chemicals based<br />
on the vision of an expert panel. This vision identified<br />
already a detailed view how those platform chemicals<br />
could be transferred via a complete value chain to end<br />
(consumer) products. Recently the European Commission<br />
published a report which provides an assessment of the<br />
technology development status and market size for the<br />
most important platform chemicals, which consists mainly<br />
– but not exclusively – out of hydroxyl- or carboxylicfunctionalized<br />
molecules [4]. Typical examples are bioderived<br />
1,4-butanediol (BDO), succinic acid, adipic acid or<br />
2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). The progress in this<br />
new area of biotechnological derived raw materials is very<br />
dynamic and especially the development and upscaling<br />
of further downstream derivatives is an ongoing process.<br />
Consequently certain biobased platform chemicals with<br />
high potential for adhesive applications and/or polymer<br />
chemistry in general are not yet available on a commercial<br />
scale. Furthermore the value proposition for each of<br />
these components can be quite different, ranging from<br />
predominately cost-driven considerations (e.g. for BDO or<br />
succinic adid, which are at least cost-competitive compared<br />
to their petrol-based analogues) to unique chemical and/<br />
or physical characteristics. Following the scope of this<br />
contribution, trans-β-farnesene belongs to the latter<br />
category and is particularly interesting for adhesive<br />
applications [5]. It´s a branched chain alkene which shall<br />
be exemplary discussed as modem biotechnological<br />
platform chemical with no identical fossil based substitute<br />
and hence new-to-the-world performance characteristics.<br />
Farnesene can be used as fragrance, cosmetic emollient<br />
or fuel, and with respect to polymers and adhesives it´s<br />
particularly valuable due to its similar reactivity compared<br />
to (gaseous) butadiene, which constitutes the main<br />
raw material for synthetic rubber. However, due to its<br />
higher molecular weight Farnesene is a liquid monomer,<br />
which substantially simplifies the rubber polymerization<br />
process and the related reactor design. Farnesene can be<br />
polymerized via free racial, cationic or anionic pathways —<br />
the latter process enables highly defined bottle-brush<br />
Poly(trans-β-farnesene) polyols. This particular backbone<br />
structure provides low tendency for entanglements and<br />
hence drastically altered viscoelastic properties, i.e. greatly<br />
reduced viscosity compared to polybutadiene systems of<br />
similar molecular weight [7]. Polyfarnesene<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 31
Materials<br />
polyols therefore offer novel opportunities in<br />
polyurethane chemistry, e.g. high performing liquid applied<br />
optical clear adhesives (LOCA) as important technology<br />
enabler for handheld devices, optical displays, lightning<br />
applications, etc.<br />
Biconjugates/ biomimetic systems<br />
Apart from the synthesis of novel platform chemicals<br />
modern biotechnology is well known for the production of<br />
proteins and peptides with tailored amino acid sequence.<br />
Astonishing properties, like extreme selectivity (chemical<br />
site-recognition), stimuli-responsiveness or catalytic<br />
reactivity, can be obtained and explained by their complex<br />
hierarchical structure. The industrially most proliferated<br />
examples are enzymes, e.g. certain proteases that serve<br />
as key performance ingredients for detergents and<br />
cleaners, which are produced on large industrial scale.<br />
Furthermore so-called “adhesive peptides”, characterized<br />
either by almost universally strong interaction or — quite<br />
contrary — highly substrate-specific binding interaction,<br />
have been recently identified [7]. Consequently, our<br />
current research aims to utilize adhesive peptides as<br />
advanced adhesion promoters for the development of<br />
1.) high-performing universal glues for a large variety of<br />
substrates, ranging from metals, ceramics to low-energy<br />
plastic surfaces and 2.) highly substrate selective, selfdifferentiating<br />
adhesives, that for example will only interact<br />
with one special metal alloy while neglecting other metal<br />
compositions. Despite of significant research efforts<br />
over the last decades such adhesion characteristics are<br />
so far unknown and can be seen as an emerging area of<br />
materials science. Over the last few years, bioconjugates<br />
(apart from other biomimetic systems) gained increased<br />
interest as novel class of macromolecules and advanced<br />
approach of joining specific and outstanding biological<br />
interaction capabilities with well-established polymeric<br />
advantages (processability, high strength, flexibility,<br />
chemical resistance, hydrolytic stability, scale-up, costs,<br />
etc.). Certain bioconjugation techniques are already wellknown,<br />
like PEGylating peptide or protein drugs to improve<br />
stability, solubility and immunogenicity. However, apart<br />
from life science the concept of bioconjugation has not<br />
yet developed into a mature technology with significant<br />
commercial success. Despite the prospects of innovative<br />
materials with disruptive performance characteristics<br />
and hence tremendous market differentiation intense<br />
research efforts are still required to understand and adjust<br />
the complex interactions of the individual segments. Last<br />
but not least highly efficient, selective, facile and scalable<br />
synthesis procedures are required to reduce the associated<br />
costs of bioconjugation for industrial applications like<br />
coatings, adhesives and sealants.<br />
In summary, novel advanced biobased adhesives with<br />
unique property combinations are an emerging technology<br />
with tremendous potential for future applications.<br />
Although technologically visionary they their development<br />
follows scientifically sound and clear targets. The overall<br />
requirements and perspective is likely to accompany<br />
numerous researchers over many years to follow, maybe<br />
even for generations, but shows in an impressive manner<br />
the way forward and technological possibilities of biobased<br />
adhesives in our modern world.<br />
www.henkel.com<br />
References<br />
[1] P. Kozowyk, M. Soressi, D. Pomstra, G. Langejans. „Experimental<br />
methods for the Palaeolithic dry distillation of birch bark:<br />
implications for the origin and development of Neandertal adhesive<br />
technology.“ Scientific Reports, <strong>2017</strong>: 8033.<br />
[2]M. Carus, Nova-Institut. „Biobased Building Blocks and Polymers.“<br />
Biobased Materials Cologne. Cologne, <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
[3] T. Werpy, G. Petersen. Top value added Chemicals from Biomass.<br />
2004. http://www.pnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_<br />
reports/PNNL-14808.pdf.<br />
[4] E4Tech, RE-CORD, WUR. „From the sugar platform to biofuels and<br />
biochemicals .“ Final report for the European Commission, 2015.<br />
[5] C. Halfmann, L. Gu, W. Gibbons, R. Zhou. „Genetically engineering<br />
cyanobacteria to convert CO2, water, and light into the long-chain<br />
hydrocarbon farnesene.“ Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology,<br />
Volume 98, <strong>Issue</strong> 23, 2014: 9869.<br />
[6] T. Yoo, S. K. Henning. „SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION<br />
OF FARNESENE-BASED POLYMERS.“ Rubber Chemistry and<br />
Technology, Volume 90, No. 2, <strong>2017</strong>: 308.<br />
[7] A. Taden, B. Veith, R. Breves, I. Schmidt, T. Weber. „Peptide that can<br />
be used in coating agents, adhesion promoters or adhesives for<br />
oxidic surfaces.“ EP2917740 B1, 4. Jan <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
32 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
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bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 33
From Science & Research<br />
PEF: an alternative<br />
with a future<br />
Within the European project EnzOx2 (New enzymatic<br />
oxidation/oxyfunctionalization technologies for<br />
added value bio-based products. BBI JU, European<br />
Union’s Horizon 2020 programme), research is being conducted<br />
on the development of new biochemical technologies<br />
based on the use of oxidative enzymes with the aim<br />
of providing innovative solutions in the production of some<br />
high added-value compounds from biomass compounds.<br />
This project has a huge interest, since the use of this kind<br />
of enzymes is practically unexplored at industrial level. The<br />
obtaining of these products entails different oxidation and<br />
oxyfunctionalization reactions catalysed by different types<br />
of fungal oxidoreductases (such as oxidases and peroxygenases).<br />
In this context, EnzOx2 plans to develop a 100 %<br />
enzymatic conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF)<br />
or 5-methoxymethylfurfural (MMF) into diformylfuran and<br />
2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a plastic building-block<br />
to be used in substitution of terephthalic acid. Moreover, another<br />
research line of this project will focus on optimizing<br />
the selective hydroxylation of plant lipids (such as fatty acids,<br />
terpenes and steroids) with the aim of producing flavour<br />
and fragrance ingredients, as well as active pharmaceutical<br />
ingredients (API).<br />
Therefore, one of the working lines which AIMPLAS<br />
is working in is related to the synthesis of derivates of<br />
polyethylene furanoate (PEF). In order to carry out the<br />
polymerization of this family of compounds, one of the<br />
monomers derived from the biomass, in particular FDCA<br />
will be employed. These new bioplastics, derived from PEF,<br />
have many advantages and they could be good candidates<br />
for the replacement of fossil-based polymers, such as<br />
polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (figure 1). Some of the<br />
advantages of this type of biopolymer in comparison with<br />
PET are:<br />
• PEF has a 50 % lower carbon footprint compared to PET.<br />
• PEF has oxygen permeability values, carbon dioxide and<br />
water better than the values of PET.<br />
• When compared to the properties of PET, its polymer<br />
has a lower melting temperature, while the glass<br />
transition temperature is higher.<br />
• PEF can be processed in the same way and with the<br />
same equipment as PET.<br />
• Its recycling process is the same as for PET.<br />
Figure 2:<br />
Technology used<br />
by Avantium [1]<br />
34 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
By:<br />
Alba Ortiz<br />
Researcher, Chemical Laboratory<br />
AIMPLAS, Valencia, Spain<br />
From Science & Research<br />
Since 2005, the company Avantium has developed a<br />
patented technology (YXY technology) to produce bio-based<br />
polymers: PEF from different sources, such as plants,<br />
grain, lignocellulose (wood) and even wastes like paper or<br />
agricultural residues.<br />
The main advantages of the EnzOx2 biochemical<br />
technology (which uses oxidases and/or peroxygenases) for<br />
producing PEF are the following:<br />
• The reaction conditions for obtaining this compound<br />
are softer, which entails an important decrease in the<br />
manufacturing costs.<br />
• Due to the high selectivity of the biochemical<br />
technology used, the number of byproducts, such as<br />
monofunctional monomers, is diminished.<br />
• AIMPLAS will develop the synthesis of compounds<br />
derived from PEF, so the influence of these<br />
modifications in the final properties could be assessed<br />
(figure 3).<br />
For that reason, during the three years duration of the<br />
EnzOx2 project, twelve participants from five European<br />
countries will work on the production of high added-value<br />
products from plant biomass using enzymatic technologies.<br />
References:<br />
[1] www.avantium.com/yxy/yxy-technology/<br />
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O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
n<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
n<br />
polyethylene furanoate (PEF)<br />
polyethylene terephthalate (PET)<br />
Figure 3:<br />
PEF derivatives obtained by<br />
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O<br />
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bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 35
News From Science & Research<br />
Aconitic acid as a building block<br />
Scientists at the Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology<br />
(acib) from Graz, Austria, succeeded in using the mold<br />
Aspergillus niger to produce aconitic acid – a new raw material<br />
and important building block (with three carboxylic acid<br />
groups) for the production of non-toxic bioplastics. Thereby,<br />
acib sets a further, important step in the manufacturing<br />
process of chemical compounds from renewable resources to<br />
end our dependence on fossil resources for the well-being of<br />
our planet.<br />
The most amazing innovations are still coming from mother<br />
nature: For example, molds are chemical specialists who can<br />
produce a number of products by fermentation from renewable<br />
raw materials, e.g. antibiotics, additives for detergents or<br />
acidulants for the food industry. They are very important for<br />
the industry, since - for more than 50 years - molds have been<br />
the main production vehicle of citric acid, which in its quantity<br />
is a prominent product for all kinds of applications. Therefore,<br />
acib scientists questioned if the black fungi can do even more<br />
than they would have expected.<br />
Old fungus, new tricks<br />
In cooperation with the Dutch University of Leiden, scientists<br />
at acib found a way to modify this fungus to produce another<br />
organic acid, namely aconitic acid. “We discovered a protein<br />
of another fungus, which is able to transport aconitic acid out<br />
from the mitochondria, the power house of the cell”, explains<br />
acib researcher and project manager Matthias Steiger. After<br />
insertion of this protein, Aspergillus niger produces the<br />
biochemical for the first time in a controlled bioprocess.<br />
The research results have been published in the prestigious<br />
scientific journal “Metabolic Engineering”.<br />
A further step for bio-based products<br />
So far, aconitic acid – which got its name by the eponymous<br />
plant Aconitum napellus – was isolated as a by-product of<br />
sugar-beet. In very small quantities it also occurs as part of<br />
the metabolism in the cells of every living organism, including<br />
humans. There, it allows the conversion of sugars and fats<br />
into energy. Thanks to this new production method, aconitic<br />
acid will be of particular interest and entails great potential<br />
for the chemical industry. “Esters of aconitic acid can e.g.<br />
serve as building blocks for the production of biopolymers<br />
and therefore have the ability to replace mineral oil based<br />
polymers. Furthermore, they are suitable as a non-toxic<br />
alternative for plasticizers, for the use as a wetting agent<br />
or as precursor for other chemicals”, explains Diethard<br />
Mattanovich, BOKU-professor and acib-key-researcher. It will<br />
take a few more years until the process will be ready for an<br />
industrial implementation. Nevertheless, the acid is attributed<br />
with great potential. Mattanovich: “This is an important<br />
milestone for the renewable production of chemical products<br />
in tomorrow’s bioeconomy in order to end the dependence on<br />
fossil fuels. MT www.acib.at<br />
Flexible barrier film<br />
Biodegradable flexible multilayer structures for<br />
medium-barrier food packaging<br />
The RECUBIO project, led by Plásticos Romero, Molina de<br />
Segura, Spain, has enabled the development medium-barrier<br />
biodegradable PLA-based packages for the food sector from<br />
complex structures.<br />
The manufacturer of blown film collaborated with AIMPLAS,<br />
a Plastics Technology Centre located in Valencia, Spain, on<br />
a project aimed at the production of sustainable packaging<br />
from complex structures. This project, called Recubio, ran for<br />
a period of 18 months and was funded by Spanish National<br />
Program for R&D Activities, CDTI (Centro para el Desarrollo<br />
Tecnológico Industrial).<br />
Multilayer packaging offers a host of advantages in terms<br />
of mechanical properties, sealability, gas barrier properties,<br />
as well as the packaging process, from which the packaged<br />
products benefit. In 2015, more than 440,000 tonnes of flexible<br />
plastic packages were used in Spain, according to the Spanish<br />
Statistical Office, the equivalent of a turnover of about one<br />
million euros.<br />
The problem is that this complex film is obtained by<br />
means of lamination processes with adhesives of different<br />
plastic films, so it is a mixture of materials with different<br />
origin, which is virtually impossible<br />
to recycle. Fortunately, over the<br />
past several years, interest in<br />
biodegradable materials in the<br />
packaging sector has grown. These<br />
materials can provide an alternative<br />
and sustainable end of life. Within<br />
the scope of the Recubio project,<br />
Plásticos Romero, worked to<br />
develop a sustainable alternative which is technically feasible<br />
and to find a solution for the current main limitation of<br />
biodegradable materials: the oxygen and water vapour barrier<br />
properties.<br />
In the Recubio project, a coating technology was applied to<br />
address this issue. A coating was applied to a biodegradable<br />
film to give it the required barrier properties. The final complex<br />
structure formed by this coated film that, was subsequently<br />
laminated with a three-layer structure providing rigidity and<br />
sealability to the final packaging, as well as protection to the<br />
barrier coating.<br />
The result is a complex final structure suitable for food<br />
packaging requiring medium barrier properties, such as<br />
bakery, fresh or frozen products. MT<br />
www.aimplas.es | www.plasticosromero.com<br />
36 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
News From Science & Research<br />
Application News<br />
From municipal waste<br />
to bioplastics<br />
Electric scooter from<br />
biobased materials<br />
The recently launched European URBIOFIN BBI-project<br />
will focus on converting the organic fraction of municipal<br />
solid waste on a semi-industrial scale. The project, that looks<br />
into the techno-economic and environmental feasibility will<br />
create chemical building blocks, biopolymers and/or additives<br />
using the biorefinery concept urban biorefinery. Ultimately,<br />
URBIOFIN offers a new feasible and more sustainable scenario<br />
alternative to the current treatment of the organic fraction of<br />
municipal solid waste. Wageningen Food & Biobased Research<br />
focuses on two specific topics in this project: the production<br />
of medium-chain length fatty acids and derived PHAs via<br />
microbial fermentation, and the scale-up, efficient extraction<br />
and novel commercial applications of these bioplastics.<br />
As a building block for high quality products, sustainable<br />
fatty acids have interesting market applications says Hans<br />
Mooibroek, project manager at Wageningen Food & Biobased<br />
Research. “‘In this project we are focusing on the conversion<br />
of fatty acids to PHAs. A key advantage of these microbial<br />
plastics is that they are produced from renewable resources<br />
and are completely bio-degradable. Our specific objective<br />
is to produce so-called medium chain length PHAs (mcl-<br />
PHAs), which are suitable for high value applications such<br />
as biodegradable agricultural plastics or biomaterials for the<br />
cosmetics industry.”<br />
Two-step fermentation process<br />
The production of PHAs occurs in stages, Mooibroek<br />
explains: “In the first step, we use short chain fatty acids<br />
from solid biomass and employ our intricate knowledge on<br />
fermentation technology. We put a yeast to work that converts<br />
the carbohydrates into longer chain fatty acids. We have a<br />
considerable track record on mcl-fatty acid production and<br />
mcl PHA-production using the yeast Cryptococcus curvatus<br />
and the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida respectively. Both<br />
organisms grow well on a variety of agricultural side streams.<br />
In the URBIOFIN project both fermentation processes will be<br />
combined to produce mcl-PHAs efficiently.”<br />
Transferring knowledge to commercial partners<br />
URBIOFIN is a typical BBI demonstration project, Mooibroek<br />
explains: “We carry the technology that we develop in our lab<br />
on to partners who want to apply the process on an industrial<br />
scale. Together with our research partner AINIA from Valencia,<br />
which produces short chain fatty acids and PHAs from waste,<br />
we have recently visited another Spanish partner IRIAF/<br />
Clamber (providing upscaling services especially for research<br />
demo projects) to make sure that they have the knowledge<br />
and facilities for scaling up the fermentation and downstream<br />
processes.” Bringing the various PHAs to market is the task<br />
of commercial partners Stéfany Emballages Services (SES,<br />
France, packaging materials) and NaturePlast (France,<br />
supporting bioplastics applications development).<br />
The 16 project partners in URBIOFIN are located in eight<br />
European countries, with Spanish engineering company<br />
IMECAL coordinating the project. MT<br />
Sustainable mobility has been given a shot in the<br />
arm with the introduction of the Be.e. The Be.e is the<br />
first electric scooter that was designed, developed<br />
and manufactured, with structural parts made from<br />
biocomposites.<br />
The scooter was introduced in Amsterdam on<br />
September 12. And it has more going for it than<br />
its sustainability credentials alone: developed in<br />
collaboration with design studio Waarmakers, much<br />
time and creativity also went into its look& feel. The<br />
result is an alluring two-wheeler with distinctive lines<br />
and character, with attention for details such as handstitched<br />
saddles, available in vinyl or leather; or the<br />
integrated generously-sized windscreen, impregnated<br />
with a nano coating for outstanding wet-weather vision.<br />
The wide tires provide good grip and stability on uneven<br />
ground; LED lights, indicators and side running lights<br />
make sure you can see and be seen at all times.<br />
The Be.e has a body made of biocomposite, in this<br />
case, hemp fibres from Groningen in the norther part of<br />
the Netherlands in a matrix of partly biobased structure<br />
that at the same time is designed to perform. The drive<br />
train is top of the bill. The scooter features a 4kW motor<br />
(highest in its class) and a 2.5kWh Li-ion battery that<br />
comes with a 4 year or 1000 cycle guarantee, ensuring<br />
long range with more power and torque. The on-board<br />
charger completely recharges the battery in just 4<br />
hours; topping up in between is no problem.<br />
Range anxiety is a thing of the past: the display<br />
accurately shows the distance that can be travelled on<br />
the current battery charge.<br />
The Be.e also has a reverse gear, making it easy to<br />
manoeuvre under difficult conditions.<br />
The development of the Be.e was made possible by<br />
a successful crowdfunding campaign in 2015. Angel<br />
investors and the first launching customers provided an<br />
extra boost in realizing the first 8 Be.e scooters. These<br />
will be delivered and on the road in just a few weeks. MT<br />
ww.vaneko.com<br />
www.wur.eu/fermentationtechnology<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 37
Application AutomotiveNews<br />
Brazilian sugar now packaged in sugar-based<br />
Bio-PE<br />
Braskem’s Green Plastic will be used for the first time in<br />
packages of refined sugar in Brazil. Pioneering this use is<br />
Caravelas Sugar, one of the country’s most important companies<br />
in this segment.<br />
The Caravelas brand consumes 140 tonnes of packaging<br />
per month and is the first and, so far. the only one in the<br />
segment to have sugarcane in its production cycle from start<br />
to finish. Consumers will be able to identify the new packaging<br />
through the I’m green seal, visible on the product front,<br />
which is Braskem’s identifying mark for packaging made<br />
with Green Plastic.<br />
“Sustainability is an essential pillar in our company, especially<br />
due to the production process of our product, whereas<br />
innovation and pioneering are directly linked to the positioning<br />
of our brand: In Favor of Tasting What Is New. In this<br />
sense, Green Plastic is an important initiative that can effectively<br />
respond to all these demands, bringing important innovation<br />
to the entire segment”, says Javel Colombo, commercial<br />
director for the Colombo Plant, Caravelas Sugar’s<br />
producer.<br />
The new packaging is produced by Zaraplast, the leader in<br />
flexible packaging solutions, longtime partner of Caravelas.<br />
“As suppliers of flexible packaging 50 years ago, we have noticed<br />
that every day consumers are looking for products that<br />
offer more sustainable solutions; and managing to combine<br />
Braskem’s renewable raw material, our transformation expertise<br />
and Caravelas product was rewarding”, said Eli Kattan,<br />
director of Zaraplast.<br />
For Braskem, which constantly monitors the market, the<br />
launch is aligned with the company’s goal of finding solutions<br />
for its customers and improving people’s lives through<br />
chemistry and plastic. “There is a growing concern of companies<br />
in the adoption of innovative solutions with a lower<br />
environmental impact. Green Plastic is the material that fits<br />
the attributes that Caravelas seeks for its products: innovation<br />
and respect for the environment”, says Gustavo Sergi,<br />
Director of Renewable Chemicals at Braskem.<br />
Braskem’s Green Plastic is 100 % recyclable, captures<br />
and fixes 3.09 tonnes of CO 2<br />
from the atmosphere for each<br />
ton of resin of renewable origin produced, collaborating to<br />
reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases. The product<br />
also has the same characteristics of traditional polyethylene<br />
and can be recycled in the already existing chain. MT<br />
www.braskem.com<br />
Hot beverage cups<br />
Synbra Technology, Etten-Leur, The Netherlands, recently introduced a high heat biobased and biodegradable alternative<br />
for hot beverage cups and hot food packaging. In Asia for example hot noodle dishes are often served in foamed plastic bowls,<br />
even from vending machines.<br />
Synbra Technology has developed and patented a process to make such beverage cups and bowls using BioFoam ® , their PLA<br />
particle foam that can be processed on modified existing EPS moulding equipment. Thus this new cup and bowl application is<br />
an addition to the already established market of ice cream packaging and white goods production. The coffee and hot beverage<br />
and noodle cups that are heat resistant, yet biodegradable and can now be produced CO 2<br />
neutral.<br />
“Even after 48 hours the cups don’t not leak any coffee, which is surpassing the industry standard,” as Jan Noordegraaf,<br />
Managing Director of Synbra Technology points out.<br />
A myriad of bans loom for not using polystyrene for using beverages packaging. Polystyrene particle<br />
foam is the most used material to make drinking cups, and despite its good recyclability it is getting<br />
under pressure. In Malaysia all EPS and plastic foam packs are banned and there is a demand for<br />
biodegradable alternatives. In the state of California, a new bill aims to ban Styrofoam throughout<br />
the state for applications such as disposable foodservice cups, plates, and containers. This new<br />
development opens up a market for alternatives for compostable disposables. MT<br />
www.synbra-technology.nl<br />
38 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Application Automotive News<br />
Barrier lidding<br />
Italian flexible packaging converter, Corapack (Brenna,<br />
Italy), has used Futamura’s renewable and compostable<br />
NatureFlex cellulose films for compostable lidding for<br />
trays. The lidding material is a proven compostable structure<br />
that is an ideal alternative to conventional plastics that often<br />
end up in landfill.<br />
To supply the best technical solution and functionality<br />
the high barrier NatureFlex film is laminated to an internal<br />
sealing bio-polymer so that the final structure, certified<br />
compostable, can be heat sealed to compostable base trays<br />
made from bio-polymers or wood pulp.<br />
NatureFlex films are produced from sustainable wood pulp<br />
harvested from managed plantations and are certified to both<br />
EU (EN13432) and US (ASTM D6400) composting standards.<br />
In addition to industrial composting, the product has reached<br />
the standard required for home composting. NatureFlex<br />
provides high barrier to moisture, aroma and gasses, has<br />
excellent transparency and high gloss; making it an ideal<br />
solution for a compostable lidding structure.<br />
Giorgio Berton, Futamura’s Italian regional sales manager,<br />
said: “This application is another great example of a successful collaboration where renewable and compostable NatureFlex<br />
films have been selected as a real alternative to conventional plastics; this means the brand owner can be happy that they are<br />
providing an environmen environmentally responsible solution without compromising on functionality”. MT<br />
www.futamuragroup.com<br />
Men’s skincare in<br />
Green PE tubes<br />
RPC M&H Plastics and Bulldog Skincare for Men have<br />
joined forces once again for Bulldog’s new line of skincare<br />
packaging, with a sustainable twist.<br />
The first men’s skincare brand in the world to use<br />
Braskem’s sugarcane based Green PE as a raw material,<br />
Bulldog have chosen to go green with their updated flexible<br />
tube line up, which features Moisturisers, Face Washes<br />
and Face Scrubs, with multiple variations of each product<br />
focusing on different skin types which includes sensitive<br />
skin, mature skin and oily skin.<br />
Simon Duffy, founder of Bulldog Skincare For Men says:<br />
“Bulldog is proud to be the first men’s skincare brand in the<br />
world to use plastic from sugarcane in our packaging. We<br />
have always tried to make the most ethical and sustainable<br />
decisions we can, from never testing on animals, to never<br />
using microbeads to making all our products suitable for<br />
vegetarians and vegans. Plastic from Sugar Cane is the<br />
latest step in this approach and we are delighted to have<br />
worked with M&H Plastics to<br />
turn Green PE into something we<br />
can use in the tubes and caps of<br />
our packaging.”MT<br />
www.rpc-group.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 39
Application News<br />
Bioplastic housing for<br />
grain mill<br />
Until recently, the housings<br />
of the high-quality corundumceramic<br />
stone grinders of<br />
Wolfgang Mock (Darmstadt,<br />
Germany) were made of wood.<br />
Mock grinders make up about<br />
70 % of all household mills sold and place the company<br />
prominently among European market leaders.<br />
The newest Mockmills come dressed in a Tecnaro<br />
housing, as announced in a recent press release<br />
dressed up in flowery words. Two models are encased<br />
in a stylish housing made of Tecnaro’s ARBOBLEND ® .<br />
Wolfgang Mock points out: “We have never used<br />
housing made of petroleum-based plastics for our<br />
mills.” It would not have suited the company philosophy.<br />
Now, the use of Tecnaro’s moulded wood also makes<br />
it easier to produce larger quantities of mills. The<br />
injection molding process allows for more streamlined,<br />
hence economical and faster production. This is how the<br />
Darmstadt-based family-run company is approaching<br />
the market, and the high-quality mills have received a<br />
warm welcome in markets across Europe and in the<br />
USA.<br />
The new Wolfgang Mock GmbH has the ambition to far<br />
exceed the 15,000 mills sold in one of the best years by<br />
his earlier company KoMo GmbH. And Wolfgang Mock<br />
is confident when he considers his decision to base his<br />
latest mills on the cooperation with Tecnaro. MT<br />
www.tecnaro.de | www.wolfgangmock.com<br />
Horticultural pots<br />
Using biopolymers for<br />
horticultural applications is<br />
something that makes eminent<br />
sense. At least, Growfun thinks<br />
so.<br />
Netherlands-based Growfun<br />
produces biodegradable<br />
horticultural pots from starchbased<br />
bio-based resin produced<br />
by Rodenburg Biopolymers in Oosterhout. Offering a<br />
sustainable alternative for fossil fuels, the company uses<br />
starch obtained from waste from the potato industry.<br />
According to Jan Blankestijn, managing director of Grofun,<br />
the company chose to collaborate with Rodenburg Biopolymers<br />
because of their expertise in that specific development area.<br />
“Based on their know-how, and in close collaboration with<br />
them we can develop a specific and high-quality product,” he<br />
said.<br />
Growfun is a flexible and innovative company that cooperates<br />
with customers and partners working with high-quality plastic<br />
products. The company invests considerable time and money<br />
in R & D, and, together with the University of Wageningen<br />
explores new technologies that they can apply to themes such<br />
as the circular economy.<br />
“Innovation plays a major role in both technology and design<br />
at Growfun, but only by investing continuously therein can we<br />
serve our customers quickly, expertly and professionally.”<br />
Growfun’s customers are national and international<br />
growers, exporters and retailers who demand a flexible,<br />
responsive supplier, for whom quality is an absolute given. MT<br />
www.growfun.nl<br />
Soybean oil enhances tire performance<br />
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (Acron, Ohio, USA) is harvesting some unique seeds of innovation as it introduces a<br />
new tire technology with support from the United Soybean Board (USB).<br />
The first commercial use of a new soybean oil-based rubber compound is helping Goodyear enhance tire performance in<br />
dry, wet and winter conditions. A Goodyear team of scientists and engineers created a tread compound, or formulation, using<br />
soybean oil, which is naturally derived, cost-effective, carbon-neutral and renewable.<br />
“Goodyear’s legacy of innovation drives us to continue to apply new technology solutions,<br />
developing superior performing tires that meet consumer demands,” said Eric Mizner, Goodyear’s<br />
director of global materials science.<br />
By employing soybean oil in tires, Goodyear found a new way to help keep the rubber compound<br />
pliable in changing temperatures, a key performance achievement in maintaining and enhancing<br />
the vehicle’s grip on the road surface.<br />
Goodyear’s tests have shown rubber made with soybean oil mixes more easily in the silicareinforced<br />
compounds used in manufacturing certain tires. This also improves manufacturing<br />
efficiency and reduces energy consumption.<br />
Goodyear cooperated on the project with the USB, a group of farmer-directors who oversee the<br />
investments of a checkoff program on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers. The USB provided some<br />
funding support for the development of Goodyear’s soybean oil application in tires.<br />
The commercialization of soybean oil in tires as the latest technology breakthrough by Goodyear<br />
builds on the company’s other recent innovations, such as the use of silica derived from rice husk<br />
ash. MT<br />
www.goodyear.com<br />
40 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Application News<br />
Compostable meat tray for organic meat<br />
In collaboration with Promessa (Deventer, The<br />
Netherlands) several members of the supermarket<br />
chain SuperUnie (including Coop and Poiesz) as well<br />
as EkoPlaza will switch to completely compostable and<br />
renewable meat trays by Bio4Pack to package organic<br />
meat. The tray, transparent film, label and absorption pad<br />
will all be biobased and compostable according to<br />
EN 134342, as well as indistinguishable from traditional<br />
meat packaging.<br />
“This is the first meat tray in the entire world which is<br />
completely compostable in accordance with the strict<br />
EN-13432 norm,” says Patrick Gerritsen from Bio4Pack.<br />
“Therefore, the tray may be labelled with the Seedling<br />
logo and can be thrown in the bin for organic waste<br />
after use. The tray and film are made of PLA, which is<br />
made from sugar cane. The impact of these trays on the<br />
environment is considerably less than traditional trays, as<br />
the resources are renewable. This means that no fossil<br />
resources are used at all. The absorption pad is made of<br />
cellulose and the Bio4Life label, including glue and ink, is<br />
completely compostable as well.”<br />
Bio4Pack started development of this organic tray back<br />
in 20<strong>06</strong>, and managed to keep its costs only a fraction<br />
higher than those of a traditional plastic tray. “It was<br />
quite a challenge. PLA is more fragile than other types<br />
of plastic, which means you have to add approved impact<br />
additives to the mix. In addition, the material must have<br />
good barrier properties and the packaging should be able<br />
to be mechanically processed with ease. However, the<br />
green colour was the biggest hurdle,” according to Patrick<br />
Gerritsen.<br />
An added benefit for retailers is that they will have to pay<br />
virtually no packaging tax for them. MT<br />
www.bio4pack.com<br />
Organic soil<br />
conditioner bags<br />
The Montgomery County Department of Environmental<br />
Protection (DEP) has taken another step to protect the<br />
environment in Montgomery County (Maryland, USA) .<br />
DEP will partner with Braskem’s I’m Green polyethylene<br />
(PE) and ProAmpac’s Trinity Packaging Division to provide<br />
packaging for Leafgro ® , which is the County’s composted<br />
soil enrichment product. The new wrapping is a sustainable<br />
resource made from sugarcane.<br />
“I have made the commitment to improving the County’s<br />
environment a priority for my administration,” said County<br />
Executive Ike Leggett. “Adopting this more environmentallyresponsible<br />
packaging product reflects this commitment,<br />
as well demonstrating the County’s embrace of the<br />
Governor’s Sustainable Materials Management Policy,<br />
which seeks ‘an updated and more holistic materials<br />
management approach… to ensure continuous<br />
environmental improvement. I<br />
commend the Department of<br />
Environmental Protection and the<br />
Division of Solid Waste Services for<br />
their leadership in achieving this<br />
important accomplishment.”MT<br />
www2.montgomerycountymd.gov<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 41
Application News<br />
New TAPP water filter to be made from<br />
biodegradable PLA<br />
water in the shower. Following the success of both products,<br />
TAPP Water launched TAPP 2, a new version of its flagship<br />
product with a more elegant design and new features – a<br />
Bluetooth sensor - in October <strong>2017</strong>.<br />
“Integrated in the TAPP 2 is the first 100 % biodegradable<br />
filter on the market – globally,” said Magnus. Why a Bluetooth<br />
sensor? “Because, if people can follow the status of the filter<br />
on their phones, they become more engaged, and the impact<br />
is bigger,” Magnus pointed out. The sensor provides realtime<br />
data to a mobile device to track water consumption<br />
and battery life. The filter can calculate the consumption<br />
of water in real time and send an alert when the cartridge<br />
needs changing. “After the shelf life, about 3 months in an<br />
average household, the cartridge can be deposited in the<br />
recycling container of organic matter, without contaminating<br />
the environment with any kind of plastic waste,” he said.<br />
Complaints about the taste of tap water have fuelled the<br />
trend for consuming bottled water instead, leading in<br />
turn to the massive accumulation of waste plastic bottles.<br />
Now, a Barcelona company is combatting the problem at<br />
the source: the water tap at home.<br />
“I come from Sweden, and was used to drinking water<br />
from the tap that tasted good,” said Magnus Jern, founding<br />
partner of TAPP Water. “When I moved to Barcelona, I found<br />
that the water had an odour and tasted like chlorine. Instead<br />
of switching to bottled water, I decided it was time to do<br />
something about it.”<br />
Together with four other partners, he first extensively<br />
researched and analysed the situation, and found that only<br />
60 % of the population consume tap water in the Mediterranean<br />
corridor of Spain, especially in Barcelona. For two years, they<br />
also studied filtration technologies, consulting with experts<br />
in the field of water, from private companies, universities and<br />
water quality institutes.<br />
They also discovered that a good filter could eliminate the<br />
unpleasant taste and remove microplastics and the heavy<br />
metals leaching from old pipes – and TAPP Water was born.<br />
After testing more than 50 different filters and technologies,<br />
and conducting blind tests with hundreds of people, as<br />
well as installation tests and analysis of water institutes to<br />
ensure that filters have the highest quality standards, a new<br />
filtering system was developed that that is being touted as<br />
“revolutionary technology.”<br />
“What we discovered was that not much technological<br />
progress had been made over the last 30 years or so,” said<br />
Magnus. Mostly, activated carbon and carbon blocks were still<br />
being used.<br />
In June 2016, the company launched its first filtration<br />
product, TAPP 1, designed in Barcelona and manufactured in<br />
Taiwan. Six months later, the company went one step further<br />
and released TAPP 1s, the perfect solution for filtering the<br />
The organic coconut fibre filter integrated into TAPP 2<br />
eliminates the bad taste and odour of water, as well as<br />
chlorine, microplastics, agricultural chemicals, pesticides<br />
and other compounds that can remain in public water after<br />
sanitation, respecting those components that are beneficial<br />
to the body, such as magnesium or iron.<br />
Magnus said that TAPP Water managed to help consumers<br />
avoid purchasing 75,000 bottles of plastic waste in 2016.<br />
“Our aim is to raise this figure to 10 million plastic bottles by<br />
the end of <strong>2017</strong>, the equivalent of 50 football fields filled with<br />
1.5-liter bottles.”<br />
In addition to a thinner design,<br />
TAPP 2 is an improvement on its<br />
predecessor TAPP 1 as itadds a<br />
Bluetooth sensor BLE 4.0, which<br />
provides real-time data to a mobile<br />
device to track water consumption<br />
and battery life. The filter can<br />
calculate the consumption of water<br />
in real time and send a warning when it is necessary to<br />
change the cartridge. After the shelf life, about 3 months in<br />
an average household, the cartridge can be deposited in the<br />
recycling container of organic matter, without contaminating<br />
the environment with any kind of plastic waste.<br />
And the system saves money: “In Spain, the average price<br />
of bottled water per litre is around € 0.30, compared to<br />
the € 0.0023 that costs one litre of tap water in a city like<br />
London. Thus, filtered tap water is up to 130 times cheaper<br />
than bottled water.”<br />
And the latest news? “We are raising money via a<br />
crowdfunding campaign to launch a TAPP Water filter<br />
made of a specially formulated biodegradable, home<br />
compostable PLA, replacing the ABS it is now made of. So,<br />
we are an environmentally responsible product made of<br />
environmentally responsible material.” MT<br />
www.tappwater.co<br />
www.tappwater.co/crowdfunding<br />
42 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Application News<br />
New milestone in biodegradability of coffee capsules<br />
Italy-based API, specialized in the production of<br />
thermoplastic elastomeric compounds and bioplastics and<br />
acquired by global materials company Trinseo in July <strong>2017</strong>,<br />
has announced it has broadened its portfolio of Apinat<br />
bioplastic materials for single-serve coffee capsules.<br />
In response to a growing consumer demand for<br />
compostable coffee capsules, API has now launched<br />
various new grades of biodegradable and compostable<br />
bioplastics, including thermoplastic elastomers TPE-E<br />
and TPC.<br />
Apinat bioplastics offer excellent mechanical and<br />
thermal characteristics during the brewing process and<br />
can easily substitute conventional plastics. The new grades<br />
are suitable both for injection moulding and continuous<br />
compression moulding.<br />
The new Apinat grades boast a renewable content of<br />
60 % up to over 90 % and comply with U.S. Food and Drug<br />
Administration and EU food contact regulations.<br />
The products are also in conformity with the<br />
biodegradability standards of the European Bioplastics<br />
Association and the scientifically recognized standards for<br />
the biodegradability and compostability of plastic products<br />
(EU 13432/EN 14995 and US ASTM D6400 standards).<br />
“Consumers are increasingly looking for eco-friendly<br />
solutions for their coffee machines,” said Aldo Zanetti,<br />
Business Unit Manager, API. “This innovation around<br />
APINAT Bioplastics reinforces API’s commitment to<br />
sustainability and environmental responsibility, offering<br />
coffee in compostable coffee capsules.”<br />
In 2016 alone, the industry still produced more than 35<br />
billion non-recyclable plastic coffee capsules worldwide.<br />
Experts expect an increase of 17 billion plastic capsules by<br />
the end of 2020. MT<br />
www.APIplastic.com<br />
| www.trinseo.com/API-Plastic.<br />
Introducing Sprig<br />
farm trucks<br />
Lightweight yet durable these chunky outdoor trucks<br />
are ready to roll for miles of adventures. These rugged<br />
preschool trucks are perfect for the backyard, beach, or<br />
living room and are made from plants instead of oil based<br />
plastic. The toys feature a new bio-plastic derived from<br />
sugar cane and upcycled corn cobs.<br />
These trucks are made from plants grown on farms.<br />
They even smell like toasted corn, yep toasted corn.<br />
The toys are made in Fort Collins, Colorado (USA) in<br />
collaboration with farmers, scientists, engineers, and US<br />
factories.<br />
However, the trucks and other toys are not available yet,<br />
as it is still a kickstarter project. If you want to support<br />
the idea, you can do<br />
so until December 16.<br />
Visit the kickstarter<br />
page via the link<br />
below. MT<br />
tinyurl.com/sprigbioplastic<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 43
Applications<br />
Automotive<br />
Hot<br />
compost bin<br />
Figure 1:<br />
Current hot bin and new stackable design for the hot bin.<br />
Figure 2:<br />
Foam cup (with paperclip) in a PE net, after 3 weeks was found<br />
to be totally composted.<br />
The hot compost bin was originally pioneered by DS<br />
Smith in the UK. It is made of EPP, a sturdy and insulating<br />
material that works much better than the<br />
poorly insulating PE used for conventional, rotomoulded<br />
bins.<br />
In cooperation with DS Smith, the Netherlands-based<br />
Synprodo, a subsidiary of Synbra Group has now introduced<br />
this hot bin concept to the continental European market.<br />
The aim is to realise the production of the hot bin in Europe,<br />
the USA, Japan and China, working with selected partners,<br />
who sign a franchise contract.<br />
The initial tests showed that the hot bin is ideal for<br />
disposing of cups and packaging made of BioFoam ® (cups<br />
cf. Application News p 38). BioFoam is certified according<br />
to the industrial composting standard EN 13432 and does<br />
not break down at room temperature. Yet in a hot bin, it was<br />
found to compost extremely fast. Cups were put in a PE<br />
net, to enable these to be identified, and added to an active<br />
and fully functioning hot bin, in which the temperature<br />
reached 60-70 °C due to the excellent insulating properties<br />
of the bin. Within three weeks, all the BioFoam cups were<br />
composted (see fig. 2). A Greeny ice cream container made<br />
of BioFoam was shown to have degraded in the same time,<br />
as well.<br />
BioFoam was not the only material that was found to<br />
compost. Thermoformed PLA parts made of NatureWorks’<br />
Ingeo 2003, as well as of Luminy ® LX175 from Total-<br />
Corbion and BioFlex ® 1130 from FKUR, all composted<br />
within three weeks. This shows that the composting<br />
as an end of life option can be accelerated for many<br />
bioplastics and that industrially compostable bioplastics<br />
have the potential to become home compostable with a<br />
simple device. As a result, bioplastics packaging waste<br />
does not have to leave the premises and will not mix with<br />
conventional plastics.<br />
An internet shippable stackable bin has been produced<br />
by Synprodo since the end of <strong>2017</strong> and can be tailor made<br />
in larger dimensions to suit the needs of sport clubs,<br />
canteens or schools, mixing food waste with bioplastics.<br />
Sport clubs or schools can convert their entire canteen<br />
waste stream to only using bioplastics. MT<br />
www.synbra-technology.nl<br />
44 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Applications<br />
Race Tesla with bio-composites<br />
Electric GT and Bcomp reveal lightweight renewable natural fibre<br />
composite body panels and tease “secret weapon” LED display<br />
Electric GT (headquartered at Circuit Pau-Arnos, France),<br />
has announced its unique partnership with Swiss company<br />
Bcomp - manufacturers of high-performance<br />
lightweight composite materials to replace some traditional<br />
carbon fibre panels in the Electric GT racing car. Bcomp (Fribourg,<br />
Switzerland) has developed a proprietary high-performance<br />
lightweight material for the automotive industry, producing<br />
high-performance, cost-efficient materials that can<br />
replace or reinforce carbon fibre and other engineering materials,<br />
and cut up to 40 % weight with maintained performance.<br />
Its powerRibs ® - and ampliTex ® reinforcement fabrics<br />
have first been used within Bcomp’s initial Sports & Leisure<br />
markets, and can typically be found in products such as skis,<br />
snowboards, surfboards, canoes and guitars. In addition, the<br />
company has collaborated with the European Space Agency<br />
ESA on the development of lightweight space applications for<br />
several years.<br />
Working with Electric GT, Bcomp has also teased a<br />
revolutionary LED system within the natural fibres which can<br />
create a display for live data and telemetry on the outer body<br />
of the racing car.<br />
Bcomp revealed the new technology at the Electric GT<br />
headquarters at Circuit Pau-Arnos, where EGT’s sustainable<br />
credentials are put into action from the ground up, creating an<br />
incubator for technology and clean energy.<br />
Electric GT CEO Mark Gemmell said: “Not only do<br />
Bcomp’s revolutionary natural fibre panels give us increased<br />
performance in terms of damping and stiffness, Bcomp have<br />
also assisted us in achieving a 20 % weight saving compared<br />
to the road-going production version of this car. That is quite<br />
staggering.<br />
“In addition to the performance characteristics these<br />
materials offer, we are also working with Bcomp to develop<br />
our secret weapon - bespoke LED arrays within the fibre<br />
composite panels, so that the cars will have the capability to<br />
display key information to the watching crowd and viewers at<br />
home.<br />
“From race numbers to race telemetry, energy levels and<br />
even biometric feedback from the drivers, the possibilities are<br />
endless and this is just the start of how we bring fans to the<br />
heart of the racing action.”<br />
Christian Fischer, CEO at Bcomp said: “At Bcomp, we’re<br />
really excited about the global shift towards clean, sustainable<br />
mobility. Our goal is to contribute with our lightweight, highperformance<br />
renewable materials, and EGT offers the perfect<br />
platform to show to the world how the future mobility will look.<br />
“When you meet like-minded people, things can go really<br />
fast. Just like us, Electric GT wants to explore the new<br />
opportunities of technology and push boundaries, which is<br />
how the idea of integrating LED arrays into our translucent<br />
body panels was born.”<br />
“From our first contact with Mark and his colleagues at<br />
Electric GT, it was clear that both teams wanted to create<br />
something entirely new and different, that would completely<br />
change the game plan for racing. We cannot wait to see where<br />
this partnership takes us.” MT<br />
www.electricgt.co | www.bcomp.ch<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 45
Report<br />
Product communication<br />
for bioplastics<br />
Uncharted territory and an adventure for the companies involved.<br />
Results of a study<br />
“And the companies that bring<br />
the products to market are in for an<br />
adventure...” [1].<br />
After making the decision to use bioplastics, companies<br />
are often faced with the question if and how this new material<br />
can be implemented in product communication, and yet there<br />
are presently almost no established methods of doing this.<br />
The feeling of adventure in the quote above expresses the<br />
uncertainty experienced by many companies, and interviews<br />
conducted in the Product Communication research project –<br />
being a part of the Junior Research Group at IfBB (Institute<br />
of Bioplastics and Biocomposites, Hanover, Germany)<br />
– confirm this. The underlying conditions for marketing<br />
products containing bioplastics were analyzed with the goal of<br />
developing effective communication strategies.<br />
24 interviews were conducted in 2016 with 35 communication<br />
executives. The focus was placed on questions concerning<br />
the existing knowledge, requirements and reservations<br />
with respect to the use of bioplastics. The survey addressed<br />
companies that either produce or sell bioplastic products,<br />
as well as representatives from politics, non-governmental<br />
organizations (NGOs), the scientific community and relevant<br />
associations.<br />
The reasons for the interest in bioplastics are manifold and<br />
range from a desire for the use of sustainable materials to<br />
perceived pressure from business or the customer:<br />
“But we also see it as a marketing tool,<br />
we can’t do without it. That’s an issue.<br />
If we are asked about it, we have to have<br />
something to show.” [2].<br />
The fear of resource scarcity is also a common reason for<br />
choosing bioplastics.<br />
Bioplastics offer real advantages that can be conveyed in<br />
product communications. On the one hand, the interviewees<br />
acknowledged the positive aspects for the environment such<br />
as the reduction of both CO 2<br />
output and oil consumption:<br />
“Yes, petroleum-free, 100 % from<br />
renewable resources and odorless, these<br />
are the three main arguments” [3].<br />
On the other hand, the higher costs, difficult cultivation<br />
conditions, technical limitations and public criticism of<br />
competition with food production were often mentioned as<br />
disadvantages:<br />
“In our view, it is quite true that those<br />
materials should be preferred, which do<br />
not compete with land use. Thus, material<br />
out of waste would be our first choice” [4].<br />
Nevertheless, biodegradability is an advantage if it<br />
fits the product properties and the application; however,<br />
disadvantages are presented by the fact that the disposal<br />
options are unclear; and that many technical difficulties still<br />
exist.<br />
Those interviewees indicated that the features and<br />
appearance of the products need to be emphasized:<br />
“It really does make sense to find new<br />
materials with new qualities such as better<br />
barrier properties or, in the simplest case,<br />
an improved ability to be printed upon<br />
or molded. Add the aspect of their being<br />
biobased, and you have created a real<br />
business opportunity...” [5].<br />
When businesses gather information on this subject,<br />
they primarily use internal sources such as their suppliers,<br />
trade associations, their own departments, and scientific<br />
publications, while the communication goals vary according to<br />
the target group. These goals can be anything from informing<br />
and clarifying up to the generation of pull effects. The biggest<br />
challenge for communication is that this topic generally<br />
requires much explanation, especially regarding the disposal<br />
options. Communication activities should start in-house and<br />
must include both informing and training.<br />
Furthermore, the topic of bioplastics often meets with false<br />
expectations and prejudices and is sometimes perceived to<br />
lack in relevance [6]. A fear of criticism and association with<br />
greenwashing was noticeable:<br />
“You’re more aware of defensive issues,<br />
because you definitely want to avoid being<br />
accused of greenwashing“ [7].<br />
46 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Report<br />
This inhibits communication, but it also creates the<br />
incentive for companies to communicate more clearly.<br />
The results of the interviews show that green marketing is<br />
not necessarily advantageous for various reasons. The topic<br />
of bioplastics is too complex; and the potential pitfalls and<br />
challenges to communication efforts are too great. When<br />
bioplastics are mentioned at all, product communication<br />
should instead inform and explain the issue by being<br />
transparent. It should also address prejudices.<br />
In effective product communication, focus should be<br />
placed on the product: its quality, its properties, and its<br />
design. The material itself should be secondary, and for this<br />
reason, the properties of bioplastics should be represented<br />
as pleasant side-effects, not as a main feature. Potentially,<br />
this could lead to an increase in the perceived value of the<br />
product, but in order for this to come into effect, customers<br />
(end users, business customers, public authorities) will<br />
need some sort of confidence-building evidence in the form<br />
of certification or product labeling.<br />
The study results also indicate that there are still many<br />
challenges that communication cannot solve alone: For<br />
example, there is still a lack of uniform standards both<br />
on a national and on an EU level; the purchase prices are<br />
still high; production processes must be changed; and<br />
disposal infrastructures (composting, recycling) have<br />
to be expanded. In the case of small and medium-sized<br />
Enterprises, it makes sense to think about alliances to<br />
generate more market power and to carry out concerted<br />
marketing campaigns. With good products to build upon,<br />
communication will be able to effectively support the<br />
establishment process.<br />
The research group FNG of the Institute of Bioplastics and<br />
Biocomposites (IfBB) at University of Applied Sciences and<br />
Arts in Hanover plans to introduce bioplastics products to<br />
the German market in cooperation with the business sector.<br />
Ecological and economic assessments and clarification of<br />
technical feasibility will also be carried out. The project<br />
is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Food and<br />
Agriculture (BMEL) under the sponsorship of the Agency<br />
for Renewable Resources (FNR).<br />
More information about the Junior Research Group at<br />
IfBB can be found here: http://fng.ifbb-hannover.de All<br />
results of the research project will be available on the IfBB<br />
website starting middle of January 2018.<br />
www.ifbb-hannover.de<br />
References<br />
[1] „Und das Abenteuer bestreiten halt die Firmen, die die<br />
Produkte auf den Markt bringen…” (interview partner 14,<br />
Applying company).<br />
[2] „Aber wir sehen das halt auch als Marketinginstrument, wir<br />
können nicht darauf verzichten, das ist ein Thema. Wenn wir<br />
darauf angesprochen werden, müssen wir so was haben“<br />
(interview partner 14, applying company).<br />
[3]„Ja, erdölfrei, 100 % aus nachwachsenden Rohstoffen und<br />
geruchsneutral, das sind so die drei Hauptargumente“<br />
(interview partner 18, applying company)<br />
[4] „Aus unserer Sicht ist es natürlich schon so, dass natürlich<br />
Ausgangsmaterialien, die jetzt vielleicht nicht so sehr auch in<br />
Konkurrenz zum Land-Use stehen, bevorzugt werden sollten.<br />
Also eben Material aus Abfällen wären für uns ... erste Wahl“<br />
(interview partner 22, trade company).<br />
[5]„Sinn macht es wirklich, neue Materialien zu finden, die<br />
irgendwelche neuen Eigenschaften haben, zum Beispiel<br />
einfach bessere Barriereeigenschaften oder im einfachsten<br />
Fall lassen sie sich besser bedrucken oder verformen. Wenn<br />
dann noch die Biobasiertheit dazukommt, dann hat man<br />
einen wirklichen Mehrwert geschaffen für die Industrie...“<br />
(interview partner 25, association).<br />
[6] Pls. see also results of the focus groups: a survey with a total<br />
of 48 consumers in the context of the FNG research project<br />
(2016): here: Webinar 3 (German language only, registration<br />
via e-mail is required)<br />
https://www.ifbb-hannover.de/de/webinare.html<br />
[7] „Man geht da mit dem Thema eher bewusst defensiv um,<br />
weil man halt definitiv vermeiden möchte, in diese Ecke<br />
geschmissen zu werden, dass man halt Greenwashing<br />
betrieben hat“ (interview partner 14, applying company).<br />
By:<br />
Miriam Jaspersen<br />
FNG II-Projekt<br />
Hochschule Hannover, Germany<br />
Wiebke Möhring<br />
FNG II-Projekt<br />
Technical University Dortmund, Germany<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 47
Basics<br />
Blown Film<br />
Extrusion<br />
By Michael Thielen<br />
Blown Film Extrusion is an established process which<br />
is used to manufacture a wide range of thin commodity<br />
and specialized plastic films mainly for the packaging<br />
industry, but also for other sectors, such as for example<br />
mulch films for agricultural applications. Also known<br />
as Film Blowing Process, this extrusion process generally<br />
comprises the extrusion of a molten thermoplastic tube<br />
and its constant inflation to several times its initial diameter.<br />
This forms a thin, tubular product which may be used<br />
directly, or indirectly by slitting it to create a flat film.<br />
Materials used<br />
In the process of Blown Film Extrusion, the common<br />
resins that are used are polyethylenes (LDPE, HDPE and<br />
LLDPE). However, various other materials, including many<br />
biobased and biodegradable plastics, can also be used in<br />
this process, as a blend with other resins or even as single<br />
layers or in multi-layer film structures. In few instances<br />
of multilayer production, when the individual materials<br />
are not able to gel together, a multi-layer film might delaminate.<br />
This can happen if polyethylene or polypropylene<br />
is combined with other thermoplastics. Hence, to overcome<br />
this issue, various tiny layers of special adhesive resins are<br />
used purposefully in between. These tiny layers are called<br />
tie layers.<br />
Process of blown film extrusion<br />
The extrusion and subsequent tube-forming of the plastic<br />
melt is done via an annular slit die, generally vertically in<br />
the upward direction, for the formation of a thin walled melt<br />
tube. The introduction of air takes place through a hole in<br />
the die’s center for blowing up the tube just like a balloon.<br />
The cooling of the hot film is done by a high-speed air ring<br />
that blows onto it. This air ring is mounted above the die.<br />
Then the following procedures take place:<br />
The tube of the film continues its movement upwards<br />
(constantly cooling) until it is squeezed by two opposing flat<br />
surfaces (collapsing frame) to collapse the tube before it<br />
enters the primary nip rolls at the top of the tower structure.<br />
The now collapsed tube is transported on idler rolls down<br />
the tower by the secondary tension-controlled nip.<br />
On higher output lines, an exchange of air inside the<br />
bubble is necessary. This is called IBC (Internal Bubble<br />
Cooling).<br />
Finally, the collapsed tube is kept as it is or is slit into<br />
two individual sheets or webs. Then the film is wound onto<br />
cores to make film roll stock. The film can also be sent to<br />
an in-line sealing machine to make bags. This process can<br />
also be carried out off-line at a later stage.<br />
Depending on where the inflated melt-film starts to<br />
solidify (so-called frost line) a short neck process or – if the<br />
frost line lies rather high – a long neck process are being<br />
distinguished. As an example, PE-LD is usually run on in a<br />
short neck process, whereas PE-HD is preferably run on<br />
long neck equipment.<br />
Advantages of blown film extrusion<br />
• In a single operation, flat as well as gusseted tubing can<br />
be formed.<br />
• Regulation of film thickness and width with the control<br />
of air volume in the bubble<br />
• Capability of biaxial orientation, which allows uniformity<br />
in all the mechanical properties<br />
• Very high productivity<br />
• Allows combination of different materials as well as<br />
properties<br />
Applications of blown film extrusion<br />
In this extrusion process, the blown film is used either<br />
in tube form (for plastic sacks and bags) or a sheet can be<br />
used by slitting the tube. Typical applications of the Blown<br />
Film Extrusion or Film Blowing includes following:<br />
industry packaging<br />
• shrink film<br />
• stretch film<br />
• bag film<br />
• container liners<br />
consumer packaging<br />
• packaging film for frozen products<br />
• shrink film for transport packaging<br />
• food wrap film<br />
• packaging bags<br />
• form, fill and seal packaging film<br />
laminating film<br />
• laminating of aluminium or paper used for packaging<br />
milk, coffee, and similar products<br />
agricultural film<br />
• Mulch film<br />
• greenhouse film<br />
• crop forcing film<br />
• silage film<br />
• silage stretch film<br />
films for packaging medical products<br />
[1, 2]<br />
Blown film extrusion of bioplastics<br />
Most bioplastics can be run on conventional blown<br />
film extrusion equipment. However, due to their different<br />
flow behavior – just like changing any other polymer –<br />
most bioplastics need a new and exact adjustment of the<br />
extrusion dies, output speeds, temperatures etc. for the<br />
respective operating points.<br />
48 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Basics<br />
As an example, some particularities of BASF’s ecovio ®<br />
blown film types (F and FS - grades) shall be mentioned<br />
here:<br />
The ecovio blown film grades can be run on conventional<br />
blown film extrusion lines in thicknesses ranging from<br />
usually 8 up to 250 μm (depending in the product type).<br />
All existing downstream equipment (winding-, printing-,<br />
cutting- and welding/sealing, bag-making equipment etc)<br />
can be used.<br />
Conventional spiral mandrel die heads of the latest<br />
generation can be used to process ecovio F and FS. The range<br />
of usable die gaps is rather wide. Existing metallocene‐ dies<br />
with gap widths of 1.2-1.8 mm can be used as well as die<br />
gaps as narrow as 0.8 mm.<br />
Ususally ecovio is being processed in a normal- (or<br />
short)-neck process (PE-LD). To a limited extent, it can<br />
also be run on existing PE-HD long neck equipment. The<br />
neck-length however, should be significantly shorter as for<br />
running PE-HD.<br />
Usual blow up ratios for ecovio are in the range of 1:2.5 up<br />
to 1:4 (e.g. mulch films).<br />
The ecovio F and FS grades are pre-compounded with a<br />
certain amount (1~2 %) of slip- and antiblock masterbatches<br />
to adapt sliding properties, avoid fold formation and reduce<br />
blocking of the film. However, additional adding of such<br />
additives may be advised. [3]<br />
Sources:<br />
[1] www.industrialextrusionmachinery.com<br />
[2] www.kpfilms.com<br />
[3] BASF brochure “ecovio® Biologically degradable solutions for extrusion<br />
applications”<br />
The 3-layer plant of the machine manufacturer<br />
Hosokawa Alpine. The picture shows the plant in the<br />
Augsburg test centre (Photo courtes Hosokawa-Alpine)<br />
Nip Rolls<br />
Collapsing<br />
Frame<br />
Stabilizing Cage<br />
Air Ring<br />
Winder<br />
Extruder<br />
Die<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 49
Report<br />
Situation<br />
in France<br />
By:<br />
Marie Plancke<br />
Secrétaire Générale<br />
Club Bio-plastique<br />
Paris, France<br />
Two years ago, France’s Energy Transition for Green<br />
Growth bill was voted into law by the National Assembly.<br />
This wide-reaching Act aims to provide effective<br />
tools to boost green growth, to reduce environmental<br />
impacts and is strongly committed to a circular economy<br />
transition. A key aspect of the law is to tackle unemployment<br />
through green growth by relocating industrial plants<br />
in territories.<br />
As biobased and biodegradable plastics are predicated<br />
on a systemic approach that starts from the soil and ends<br />
in the soil, they illustrate a concrete model of the French<br />
perspective on a circular economy focused on territories.<br />
The starch from which French bioplastics are made, indeed,<br />
comes from, potatoes and maize cultivated in French soil.<br />
Biorefineries and plastics converting companies can be<br />
integrated into local areas where bioplastics are produced.<br />
Club Bio-plastiques, the French representative of the<br />
bioplastics industry (from agro-resources to their final<br />
conversion) has been invited to work on the French Circular<br />
Economy roadmap which is scheduled for publication in<br />
March 2018.<br />
Bioplastics in France: now & tomorrow<br />
Since January 1 st <strong>2017</strong>, thin-walled single-use plastics<br />
bags have been banned. The bags must be made from<br />
plastic with a minimum biobased content of 30 %, and<br />
be home compostable, compliant to the French home<br />
composting standard NFT 51 800. The minimally required<br />
biobased percentage will increase progressively to 60 % in<br />
2025.<br />
Checkout carrier bags must now be reusable, which<br />
means they must be have a thickness > 50µm to be in<br />
compliance with the law. Nevertheless, many PE single-use<br />
bags can still be found at small city markets, although most<br />
supermarkets are now in conformity. Club Bio-plastiques<br />
continues to work on this issue with the Environment<br />
Ministry in order to meet the single-use plastic bags ban.<br />
The Ministry for Economic Affairs has commissioned a<br />
report about the environmental & economic benefits of this<br />
regulation that will be published in 2018.<br />
Under the Energy Transition Act, a ban on disposable<br />
cups, glasses and plates not made of bioplastic will go<br />
into effect on January 1 st 2020 . Although members of<br />
Club Bio-plastiques are very pleased and welcome this<br />
latest weapon in the fight against plastic pollution, they<br />
warned the Ministry and its representatives about the<br />
home composting obligation. Under the law, “cups, glasses<br />
and plates” must be made of bioplastic with a minimum<br />
biocontent of 50 % and home compostable (in compliance<br />
with the French standard), which leads to a technical issue<br />
for companies. Although industrial composting would not<br />
have been a problem, the industry has not yet been able to<br />
produce disposable plates, cups and glasses that are home<br />
compostable - in spite of massive R&D investments. The<br />
problem is the thickness. Manufacturers of these products<br />
do not expect to successfully produce home compostable<br />
serviceware before the year 2020.<br />
Another deadline will occur in 2025 with the<br />
generalization of source separation, the first step for the<br />
separate collection of biowaste, which could help towards<br />
achieving the targets of the Circular Economy Package<br />
(decrease of landfilling and so on). Indeed, by requiring<br />
source separation and organic waste valorization, the Act<br />
aims to enhance compost quality. The French Agency for<br />
the Environment (ADEME) published a best practices guide<br />
for biowaste collection last spring, highlighting the use of<br />
biodegradable bags in the process.<br />
The importance of organic waste collection, and role of<br />
biobased and biodegradable plastics in the model were<br />
emphasized in discussions during the Food & Farming<br />
General State led by the government. Invited to participate<br />
and to discuss on the bioeconomy and the Circular<br />
Economy, Club Bio-plastiques also called for a ban on<br />
oxofragmentable mulch films. These products are still used<br />
in France despite their environmental impact, and in spite<br />
of existing biodegradable mulch films solutions.<br />
www.bioplastiques.org<br />
50 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Automotive<br />
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bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 51
Opinion<br />
Position Paper: Plastic bags<br />
Background<br />
What do lettuce from the weekly market, a pack of<br />
headache pills, a DVD, a teddy bear and jeans have in<br />
common? At first glance, you would think: nothing. But a<br />
second look reveals: often when you buy them, all these<br />
items are put in a disposable polymer bag, better known as<br />
plastic bag.<br />
Statistically, 45 plastic bags per capita were used in<br />
Germany in 2016 [1]. In a city like Oberhausen with 210,000<br />
citizens this amounts to a total of almost 10 million bags<br />
per year. While some of the plastic bags are reused several<br />
times after their initial use, for example as a means of<br />
transport or as a garbage bag, most of them directly<br />
end up in the mixed waste bin or, as it should be, are fed<br />
into recycling via the yellow bin, the German lightweight<br />
packaging collecting system. Especially so called hygiene<br />
bags with a wall thickness of less than 15 μm (0.015 mm),<br />
often used for fruit and vegetables bought at markets and<br />
grocery stores, are just used once.<br />
The amount of plastic litter in the oceans is still increasing<br />
– in total it is estimated to be 27-66,7 million tonnes [2] –<br />
and more and more pictures of starved birds and beached<br />
whales with their stomachs full of plastics fragments and<br />
bags instead of food are going around the world [3]. That<br />
is why plastics, especially in the form of plastic bags and<br />
packaging, are increasingly becoming a subject of harsh<br />
criticism. For many years, plastic bags have been one of<br />
the top 10 litter items found during beach clean-ups [4].<br />
Several initiatives, like plastic-free shops [5] or plastic-free<br />
cities [6], aim at completely abandoning these products.<br />
In April 2016 the Federal Ministry for the Environment,<br />
Nature conservation, Construction and Nuclear Safety<br />
(BMUB) and the Trade Association of Germany (HDE)<br />
signed a voluntary agreement to reduce the use of plastic<br />
bags by half in the next ten years. Therein, the participating<br />
companies commit themselves to charge their customers<br />
a reasonable fee for plastic bags from 1 July 2016 at the<br />
latest. Exceptions are only made for very light carrier bags<br />
with a wall thickness below 15 μm (i. e. hygiene bags) and<br />
freezer and long-life carrier bags with a wall thickness of<br />
more than 50 μm. The latter types had already mostly been<br />
charged for anyway.<br />
Many retailers have reacted and do not offer free bags<br />
anymore but charge a fee for plastic bags instead. Some<br />
even go a step further. The German food retailer REWE, for<br />
example, has completely stopped the sale of plastic bags<br />
since 1 June 2016 and nowadays offers alternatives made<br />
from cotton, jute or paper as well as reusable bags from<br />
recycled materials or cardboard boxes [7]. In September<br />
2016 the German discounter Lidl also announced not to<br />
offer standard plastic bags any more starting in <strong>2017</strong> [8].<br />
Today, one can find long-life carrier bags, cotton and paper<br />
bags as eco-friendly alternatives in their stores [9].<br />
52 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Opinion<br />
By:<br />
Jürgen Bertling, Stephan Kabasci<br />
Markus Hiebel, Leandra Harmann<br />
Fraunhofer UMSICHT<br />
Oberhausen, Germany<br />
But how should the subject be evaluated from a scientific<br />
perspective? Experts from Fraunhofer UMSICHT have<br />
compiled the following facts and assessments.<br />
Position of Fraunhofer UMSICHT<br />
1. Similar to the criticized material polyvinyl chloride<br />
(PVC) the plastic bag has become a highly symbolic icon in<br />
environmental debates. It has been singled out from a variety<br />
of plastic products which have quite a similar relevance from<br />
an environmental perspective. Its importance regarding the<br />
quantitative environmental impact is frequently overrated<br />
and the complexity of the overall problem with polymers in<br />
the environment tends to be oversimplified. This makes an<br />
unbiased discussion based on facts difficult.<br />
2. The mass fraction of plastic bags accounts for less<br />
than one percent of the total consumption of plastics. With<br />
45 per capita and year the consumption of plastic bags<br />
in Germany is well below the EU average of 198 bags per<br />
capita and year. Nevertheless, there are countries such as<br />
Luxembourg and Ireland which show a significantly lower<br />
consumption [1, 10].<br />
3. Life cycle assessments (LCA) do not show specific<br />
advantages of paper and cotton bags over bags made from<br />
conventional plastics or bio-plastics. A multiple use of bags<br />
has positive effects on LCA results [11]. However, LCAs are<br />
quite limited in their informative value. For example, long<br />
term necessary paradigm shifts (from fossil to renewable<br />
sources), the technical level of development of materials or<br />
products (learning curve of efficiency) or the impact of litter<br />
– including microplastics – in the environment are not or<br />
not sufficiently considered yet.<br />
4. The utilization of biodegradable materials as alternative<br />
sources for plastic bags needs further investigation. It is<br />
known that not all biodegradable plastics degrade as quickly<br />
in different environmental compartments (e.g. on and in<br />
the soil, in fresh and sea water) as it is proven in standard<br />
laboratory tests. However, even a slower degradation –<br />
albeit lasting several years – would already improve the<br />
situation compared to the extremely long lasting standard<br />
plastics bags (mostly made out of the polyolefines PE or<br />
PP). Closer examinations of degradation mechanisms and<br />
kinetics in the environment as well as sociological studies<br />
dealing with the suspected rebound effect of increased<br />
littering of biodegradable bags into the environment are yet<br />
to be carried out.<br />
5. Plastic bags made of polyethylene (PE) with catalytic<br />
additives which enhance oxidative fragmentation (so<br />
called oxo-degradables) are to be strictly rejected. They<br />
purposefully produce microplastics which can have severe<br />
consequences in the low trophic levels (plankton, bivalves,<br />
worms etc.) of the food chain (please see our position paper<br />
on microplastics for further information) [12].<br />
450-<br />
400-<br />
350-<br />
300-<br />
250-<br />
200-<br />
150-<br />
100-<br />
50-<br />
Number of plastic bags used per capita in 2010 in the EU [13]<br />
0-<br />
Bulgaria - 421<br />
Czech Rep. -297<br />
Greece - 269<br />
Romania - 252<br />
Italy - 204<br />
EU 27 - 198<br />
Cyprus - 140<br />
UK - 137<br />
Spain - 133<br />
Malta - 119<br />
Sweden - 111<br />
Belgium - 98<br />
Netherlands - 81<br />
France - 79<br />
Denmark - 79<br />
Finland - 77<br />
Germany - 71<br />
Austria - 51<br />
Luxembourg - 20<br />
Ireland - 18<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 53
Opinion<br />
6. Biobased polymers are an important strategic route<br />
since a path change away from fossil raw materials to<br />
renewable sources will be unavoidable in the long term.<br />
Regardless of biodegradation this route should be followed<br />
in any case. Another long-term option could be the material<br />
use of carbon dioxide using regenerative energies for its<br />
extraction.<br />
7. Multiple uses and improved end-of-life management<br />
are necessary for all types of shop-ping bags.<br />
8. A general ban on plastic bags is rather to be rejected.<br />
Instead, strategies should be pursued promoting careful and<br />
responsible use. These include, for example, measures of<br />
environmental education, deposit systems or fees for plastic<br />
bags in shops. The latter has al-ready been implemented<br />
successfully in Germany following the voluntary agreement<br />
of the Federal Ministry for the Environment and the Trade<br />
Association of Germany (HDE).<br />
9. Furthermore, any means that facilitate plastic recycling,<br />
such as collecting systems, which facilitates an efficient<br />
separate collection, or an abandoning of multi-material<br />
systems, should be reasonably accompanied by political and<br />
regulatory measures.<br />
These facts and recommendations form the basis for<br />
technical and social innovations which are developed by<br />
Fraunhofer UMSICHT.<br />
Plastic bag consumption – examples from<br />
around the world<br />
The per capita consumption of plastic bags varies<br />
from country to country. In 2010 Bulgaria led the EU<br />
member states with 421 bags, followed by the Czech<br />
Republic (297), Greece (269), Ro-mania (252) and Italy<br />
(204). Germany already was at the lower end of the<br />
range with 71 bags per capita in 2010. According to<br />
most recent figures, it has reduced its consumption<br />
further down to 45 bags per capita per year [1]. Less<br />
plastic bags were only used in Luxemburg (20) and<br />
Ireland (18) – see the following figure. The low value for<br />
Ireland can be explained by a former introduction of a<br />
fee for plastic bags.<br />
Some non-European countries have already imposed<br />
complete bans. In Bangladesh plastic bags were<br />
first banned in the capital city of Dhaka in 2001 and<br />
subsequently prohibited throughout the country. The<br />
reason was that they were partly made responsible<br />
for blocking wastewater sys-tems leading to floodings<br />
in 1988 and 1998. In Morocco, plastic bags have been<br />
banned com-pletely since 1 July 2016. The country<br />
previously ranked second behind the USA with an<br />
annual consumption of 900 bags per capita and 26<br />
billion in total.<br />
Ultrathin plastic bags are prohibited in China, Kenia,<br />
Rwanda and South Africa. In the city of San Francisco<br />
plastic bags also got banned. Furthermore, in China<br />
plastic bags are charged for, as well as in Washington<br />
D. C. and Los Angeles. Some further countries also<br />
consider implementing laws because farm animals<br />
have increasingly started to feed on plastic bags and as<br />
a consequence have suffered from health problems.<br />
Sources: [1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18].<br />
References:<br />
[1] GVM (<strong>2017</strong>): Ein Drittel weniger Kunststofftüten in Deutschland -<br />
Presseinformation des Handelsverband Deutschland: Datengrundlage<br />
(GVM - Gesellschaft für Verpackungs-marktforschung). Last time<br />
checked: <strong>2017</strong>, June 28. https://www.einzelhandel.de/index.php/<br />
presse/aktuellemeldungen/item/127648-ein-drittel-wenigerkunststofft%C3%BCten-in-deutschland<br />
[2] Eunomia (2016): Plastics in the Marine Environment. Bristol, United<br />
Kingdom<br />
[3] Spiegel Online (<strong>2017</strong>): Müll im Meer: Wal hatte 30 Plastiktüten im Magen.<br />
Last time checked: <strong>2017</strong>, April 28. http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/<br />
natur/muell-im-meer-wal-hatte-30-plastiktueten-im-magen-a-1132942.<br />
html<br />
[4] Ocean Conservancy (2016): 30th Anniversary International Coastal<br />
Cleanup: Annual Re-port. Washington DC<br />
[5] Utopia (2016): Verpackungsfreier Supermarkt: einkaufen ohne<br />
Verpackung. Last time checked: <strong>2017</strong>, April 28. http://www.utopia.de/<br />
magazin/plastikfreie-laeden<br />
[6] IBP - Interkulturelle Begegnungsprojekte e.V. (2015): Unplastic<br />
Billerback. Last time checked: <strong>2017</strong>, April 28. http://www.unplasticbillerbeck.de/<br />
[7] Süddeutsche Zeitung (2016): Rewe stoppt Verkauf von Plastiktüten. Last<br />
time checked: <strong>2017</strong>, April 28. http://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/<br />
plastikmuell-rewe-stoppt-verkauf-von-plastiktueten-1.3014599<br />
[8] Presseportal (2016): Lidl Deutschland spart ab <strong>2017</strong> jährlich 3500<br />
Tonnen Plastik: Lidl nimmt bundesweit Standard-Plastiktüte aus dem<br />
Sortiment und setzt auf Mehrfachver-wendung seines erweiterten<br />
Tragetaschensortiments. Last time checked: <strong>2017</strong>, April 28. http://www.<br />
presseportal.de/pm/58227/3434594<br />
[9] LIDL Deutschland (<strong>2017</strong>): Tragetaschensortiment - Lidl Deutschland<br />
- lidl.de. Last time checked: <strong>2017</strong>, April 28. https://www.lidl.de/de/<br />
tragetaschensortiment/s3219<br />
[10] Zeit Online (2013): Umweltverschmutzung: EU will Plastiktüten-<br />
Verbrauch begrenzen. Last time checked: <strong>2017</strong>, April 28. http://www.zeit.<br />
de/wissen/umwelt/2013-11/plastik-eu-kommission<br />
[11] Environment Agency (2011): Evidence. Life cycle assessment of<br />
supermarket carrierbags: a review of the bags available in 20<strong>06</strong>. Report:<br />
SC030148. Bristol: Environment Agency (En-vironment Agency science<br />
report)<br />
[12] Fraunhofer-Institut für Umwelt-, Sicherheits- und Energietechnik<br />
UMSICHT (2015): Fraun-hofer UMSICHT nimmt Stellung: Thema<br />
Mikroplastik. https://www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de/de/nachhaltigkeit/agnachhaltigkeit/umsicht-nimmt-stellung/mikroplastik.html<br />
[13] European Commission - DG Environment (2011): Assessment of impacts<br />
of options to reduce the use of single-use plastic carrier bags: Final<br />
report<br />
[14] Umweltbundesamt (2013): Plastiktüten. UBA: Dessau-Roßlau<br />
[15] Doyle, T.; O’Hagen, A. M. (2013): The Irish ‘Plastic Bag Levy’: A<br />
mechanism to reduce marine litter? (Marine Litter in Eurpean Seas)<br />
[16] Süddeutsche Zeitung (2016): Marokko: Kommt nicht in die Tüte. Last<br />
time checked: <strong>2017</strong>, April 28. http://www.sueddeutsche.de/panorama/<br />
marokko-kommt-nicht-in-die-tuete- 1.3104571<br />
[17] Deutschlandfunk (2016): Energiewende-Gesetz: Frankreich will<br />
Plastiktüten teilweise ver-bieten. Last time checked: <strong>2017</strong>, April 28.<br />
http://www.deutschlandfunk.de/energiewende-gesetz-frankreich-willplastiktueten-teilweise.697.de.html?dram:article_id=358804<br />
[18] Earth Policy Institute (2014): Plastic Bags Fact Sheet<br />
tinyurl.com/postion-bags<br />
54 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Brand Owner<br />
Brand owner’s<br />
perspectives<br />
What is driving investment in biobased<br />
materials.<br />
Respondents said growth factors for biobased materials<br />
include consumer demand for environmentally-friendly<br />
products (65 %) and packaging (46 %), as well as brands<br />
wanting to improve public image (48 %).<br />
On this page our readers usually find a statement from<br />
a brand owner. This issue, however, we give ourselves<br />
a break. Not because we are lazy, but simply because<br />
our friends at Sustainability Consult did such a good job<br />
with their survey on #WhatBrandsWant. In this issue we<br />
publish an excerpt from their report.<br />
Sustainability Consult, the leading bioeconomy<br />
communications and PR consultancy (Brussels, Belgium)<br />
realised that they (just like we) often hear the same<br />
questions:<br />
• How can biomaterials manufacturers make it easier for<br />
brands to engage?<br />
• What can the biobased industry do to encourage brands<br />
to invest in biobased materials?<br />
• How do biobased solutions fit in with brand sustainability<br />
goals?<br />
• How can brands help the biobased industry to grow?<br />
So they decided to ask over 40 brands across different<br />
sectors ranging from apparel, footwear & textiles, to food<br />
& beverages and personal care. The results offer an insight<br />
on the drivers and barriers affecting market growth in the<br />
biobased materials sector.<br />
Here are some of their findings:<br />
Level of knowledge<br />
Respondents from brands were informed about biobased<br />
materials, with 59 % claiming they were informed, 39 %<br />
well-informed and only 2 % not informed about biobased<br />
materials. This trend was also reflected by those brands not<br />
currently using biobased solutions.<br />
not informed<br />
well informed<br />
informed<br />
What information are brands exactly looking<br />
for?<br />
To evaluate whether to adopt biobased materials, 63 %<br />
said they need more information from suppliers on pricing,<br />
61 % on availability and 57 % on performance.<br />
peformance<br />
availability<br />
pricing<br />
0%<br />
0%<br />
10%<br />
20% 40% 60% 80%<br />
20%<br />
30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%<br />
improve their public image<br />
Consumer demand for<br />
environmentally-friendly packaging<br />
Consumer demand for<br />
environmentally-friendly products<br />
What are the biggest barriers?<br />
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%<br />
Among the brands, 87 % indicated cost as the biggest<br />
barrier to widespread uptake of biobased materials.<br />
Performance (42 %) and security of supply (37 %) were<br />
identified as the next biggest barriers.<br />
security of supply<br />
performance<br />
cost<br />
0%<br />
20% 40% 60% 80% 100%<br />
Do brands owners communicate externally on<br />
their use of biobased materials?<br />
Communicating openly on their use of biobased<br />
materials demonstrates confidence in biobased technology<br />
and products. 71 % of the respondents do communicate<br />
externally, whereas 27 % said they don’t.<br />
do not commuexternaly<br />
nicate externaly<br />
communicate<br />
0%<br />
20% 40% 60% 80%<br />
What growth rates are expected for biobased<br />
materials?<br />
Most respondents expect the market to experience<br />
moderate growth (61 %), although brands already using biobased<br />
materials are more optimistic, with 43 % suggesting<br />
there will be strong market growth. In their comments,<br />
respondents highlighted the price of oil, lengthy product<br />
planning cycles, end-of-life options and legislative changes<br />
as having a strong impact on the evolution of the market.<br />
Perhaps more surprisingly, brands not using biobased<br />
materials also expect moderate growth. This is a positive<br />
sign of market development for biomaterials producers. MT<br />
The complete report can be downloaded for free at:<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/<strong>2017</strong><strong>06</strong>/whatbrandswant.pdf<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 55
Automotive<br />
10<br />
Years ago<br />
Special<br />
Published in<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE<br />
Article contributed by Christian Garaffa,<br />
Marketing Department, Project Manager<br />
Waste Management Area.<br />
A<br />
fter Ireland, San Francisco and Oakland in California,<br />
Modbury in Britain, the debate on disposable<br />
carrier bags has recently moved to London. Many<br />
other countries and cities are looking to introduce or already<br />
have some form of ban, tax, levy or some voluntary<br />
agreement on throwaway shopping bags (e.g. France or<br />
Italy).<br />
The question is always the same: how to manage the<br />
environmental issue posed by non biodegradable carrier<br />
bags? The common logic permeating the different choices<br />
is always the one dictated by the waste hierarchy: prevent,<br />
reuse, recover, dispose of.<br />
Factors like an intensive communication to the consumers<br />
and the introduction of reusable bags “for life”<br />
which can be used for several times before they are finally<br />
thrown away or given back to the store, are an essential<br />
part of this schemes.<br />
Compostable shopping<br />
carrier bags: what is the<br />
logic for their contribution<br />
to the environment?<br />
www.novamont.com<br />
How do compostable carrier bags place themselves into<br />
this picture?<br />
Compostable carriers can actually be a powerful aid to<br />
waste minimization and recovery policies especially there<br />
were organic waste collection schemes are to be set up<br />
or are already in place. In order for such schemes to be<br />
successful they must be hygienic for both consumer and<br />
collection crews and be as convenient as possible. The<br />
best way to ensure both these criteria is for consumers<br />
to line their kitchen caddy with a compostable liner which<br />
can then be tied and placed in the larger container. Using<br />
liners in this fashion not only keeps the system clean and<br />
hygienic from kitchen to collection to treatment facility,<br />
but by being simple to use, they also lead to higher levels<br />
of participation and subsequently greater amounts of food<br />
waste are recovered and less material is landfilled.<br />
A proper communication and the possibility for the<br />
householder to easily identify the compostable bags are<br />
completing the picture for this kind of schemes which are<br />
able to recover as much as 90% of the kitchen organics<br />
present in the household waste.<br />
In November <strong>2017</strong>,<br />
Christian Garaffa, Novamont<br />
says:<br />
Since 10 years ago, Europe is<br />
now talking about circular economy<br />
and making efforts to make it really happen. Italy was the<br />
first Member State to adopt a single use plastic bag ban in 2011<br />
promoting reusable bags but also allowing shopping bags certified<br />
to EN13432 for reuse in the organic waste collection. At EU<br />
level in 2015 a new Directive set targets to reduce the current<br />
level of consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags (Directive<br />
(EU) 2015/720). It also addresses biodegradable and compostable<br />
plastic carrier bags, recognizing as a matter of fact<br />
the value of such bags for re-use in organic waste collection.<br />
The directive was also a door opener for further legislation at<br />
Member State level such as France imposing fresh produce<br />
bags to be compostable in <strong>2017</strong> and Italy to follow suit in 2018.<br />
From 1 January 2020 also Spain will allow only compostable<br />
carrier bags and fresh produce bags.<br />
The city of Milan is the perfect example of the role played<br />
by compostable shopping bags as a key tool for high participation<br />
and capture rates of biowaste: 70 kilograms per<br />
person per year of just residential food scraps are being<br />
collected. At the beginning of this year the EU Commission<br />
issued a Communication on the role of waste-to-energy<br />
in the circular economy, COM(<strong>2017</strong>) 34, stating that “since<br />
2014, the city has almost reached 100 % collection of food<br />
and organic waste, providing an average of 120.000 tonnes<br />
of biodegradable waste per year. At full capacity (12.8<br />
MW), the city biogas plant should produce some 35.880<br />
MWh of electricity a year, enough to supply 24.000 people,<br />
and yield 14.400 tonnes of fertiliser.” These figures are<br />
unmatched by far by any other large European city and<br />
compostable plastic bags are the standard tool to collect<br />
these food scraps and every second compostable<br />
bag found in the waste analyses is a shopping bag. In<br />
conclusion, after then years the compostable bioplastic<br />
shopping bag model has scaled up and supports the<br />
best performing organic waste collection systems in<br />
Europe. A perfect example of real circular economy.<br />
20 bioplastics MAGAZINE [07/04] Vol. 2<br />
tinyurl.com/bags200704<br />
56 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Report<br />
Bioplastics Survey<br />
By:<br />
Michael Thielen<br />
In this edition of our “Special focus on certain geographical<br />
areas” series, we take a closer look at France and Italy.<br />
To that end, we once again conducted the short, non-representative<br />
survey we used in previous editions to attempt to<br />
gain an idea of people’s notions and perception of bioplastics<br />
in these countries.<br />
In this sixth edition of the series, we visited an attractive<br />
plaza in a pedestrian area in the centre of Strasbourg in<br />
France. We approached a (non-representative) number of<br />
passers-by and asked whether they would be willing to<br />
answer a few brief questions.<br />
Of those we interviewed, 47.8 % were male and 52.2 % were<br />
female. About 60.9 % were aged between 20 and 40, while<br />
39.1 % were between the ages of 40 and 60. This represents<br />
the average distribution of people browsing this plaza on a<br />
sunny, but chilly Thursday morning in October.<br />
When asked whether they knew what bioplastics were,<br />
almost 40 % responded that yes, they did (and had no<br />
difficulties in proving this, as they went on to mention aspects<br />
such as biobased origin and/or biodegradable features).<br />
Like all previous surveys in this series, the other 60 % was<br />
interested in learning about what bioplastics were. And after<br />
a brief explanation about the features and benefits, most<br />
seemed convinced that bioplastics were beneficial for the<br />
environment and for the climate.<br />
Strikingly, however, we found the French people we spoke<br />
to that morning were rather more differentiated than we had<br />
hitherto experienced in the other countries, and this yielded<br />
a number of very intense discussions. Two young female<br />
students, in particular, were highly reluctant to agree to the<br />
fact that there might be benefits to opting for bioplastics. The<br />
first argued about fertilizers and solvents, and the energy<br />
needed to produce bioplastics, while the second merely said:<br />
“We recycle and that’s good enough”.<br />
Happily, in other conversations we found that some of the<br />
people were really interested: they asked questions about<br />
availability, the processes that take place during composting<br />
and much more. They seemed to have time, the sun was<br />
shining and it was a nice area …<br />
Finally, we also asked all our interviewees whether they<br />
would buy products made of bioplastics, if they should happen<br />
to see them on display at the store. 91.3 % confirmed that<br />
they would. And – no surprise after the abovementioned<br />
discussions – 13 % said that they would not be willing to<br />
pay more for such products, with most of the other 87 %<br />
responding: “a little more, yes” or “it depends on the product”.<br />
What is paradoxical is that even in a country where, today,<br />
the use of biodegradable shopping bags is mandatory, some<br />
60 % of our non-representative choice of people knew little<br />
to nothing about or were unaware of bioplastics and their<br />
potential. And again, the results of this survey reveal that,<br />
given the knowledge and the chance, many consumers<br />
would opt for products using bioplastics and even be willing<br />
to pay a small premium. This indicates an obvious need for<br />
comprehensive end consumer education. Consumer behaviour<br />
can have a significant impact on the ways products affect the<br />
environment. Educating consumers about bioplastics offers<br />
a huge opportunity to promote these materials and to effect<br />
positive changes in the shopping choices people make.<br />
female<br />
20-40<br />
years<br />
40-60<br />
years<br />
Do you know what<br />
bioplastics are?<br />
Would you buy?<br />
Would you pay more?<br />
male<br />
YES<br />
39,1%<br />
NO<br />
60,9%<br />
YES<br />
91,3%<br />
NO<br />
8,7%<br />
YES<br />
87%<br />
NO<br />
13%<br />
47,6%<br />
55%<br />
50%<br />
55,6%<br />
52,4%<br />
45%<br />
50%<br />
44,4%<br />
44,4% 55,6% 71,4% 28,6% 54% 46%<br />
100%<br />
100%<br />
60% 40%<br />
66,7%<br />
33,3%<br />
33,3% 66,7%<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 57
Suppliers Guide<br />
1. Raw Materials<br />
Simply contact:<br />
Tel.: +49 2161 6884467<br />
suppguide@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
Stay permanently listed in the<br />
Suppliers Guide with your company<br />
logo and contact information.<br />
For only 6,– EUR per mm, per issue you<br />
can be present among top suppliers in<br />
the field of bioplastics.<br />
For Example:<br />
AGRANA Starch<br />
Bioplastics<br />
Conrathstraße 7<br />
A-3950 Gmuend, Austria<br />
technical.starch@agrana.com<br />
www.agrana.com<br />
BASF SE<br />
Ludwigshafen, Germany<br />
Tel: +49 621 60-9995<br />
martin.bussmann@basf.com<br />
www.ecovio.com<br />
PTT MCC Biochem Co., Ltd.<br />
info@pttmcc.com / www.pttmcc.com<br />
Tel: +66(0) 2 140-3563<br />
MCPP Germany GmbH<br />
+49 (0) 152-018 920 51<br />
frank.steinbrecher@mcpp-europe.com<br />
MCPP France SAS<br />
+33 (0) 6 07 22 25 32<br />
fabien.resweber@mcpp-europe.com<br />
Jincheng, Lin‘an, Hangzhou,<br />
Zhejiang 311300, P.R. China<br />
China contact: Grace Jin<br />
mobile: 0086 135 7578 9843<br />
Grace@xinfupharm.comEurope<br />
contact(Belgium): Susan Zhang<br />
mobile: 0032 478 991619<br />
zxh<strong>06</strong>12@hotmail.com<br />
www.xinfupharm.com<br />
1.1 bio based monomers<br />
Total Corbion PLA bv<br />
Arkelsedijk 46, P.O. Box 21<br />
4200 AA Gorinchem<br />
The Netherlands<br />
Tel.: +31 183 695 695<br />
Fax.: +31 183 695 604<br />
www.total-corbion.com<br />
pla@total-corbion.com<br />
62 136 Lestrem, France<br />
Tel.: + 33 (0) 3 21 63 36 00<br />
www.roquette-performance-plastics.com<br />
1.2 compounds<br />
Global Biopolymers Co.,Ltd.<br />
Bioplastics compounds<br />
(PLA+starch;PLA+rubber)<br />
194 Lardproa80 yak 14<br />
Wangthonglang, Bangkok<br />
Thailand 10310<br />
info@globalbiopolymers.com<br />
www.globalbiopolymers.com<br />
Tel +66 81 9150446<br />
Kingfa Sci. & Tech. Co., Ltd.<br />
No.33 Kefeng Rd, Sc. City, Guangzhou<br />
Hi-Tech Ind. Development Zone,<br />
Guangdong, P.R. China. 51<strong>06</strong>63<br />
Tel: +86 (0)20 6622 1696<br />
info@ecopond.com.cn<br />
www.ecopond.com.cn<br />
FLEX-162 Biodeg. Blown Film Resin!<br />
Bio-873 4-Star Inj. Bio-Based Resin!<br />
FKuR Kunststoff GmbH<br />
Siemensring 79<br />
D - 47 877 Willich<br />
Tel. +49 2154 9251-0<br />
Tel.: +49 2154 9251-51<br />
sales@fkur.com<br />
www.fkur.com<br />
39 mm<br />
Polymedia Publisher GmbH<br />
Dammer Str. 112<br />
41<strong>06</strong>6 Mönchengladbach<br />
Germany<br />
Tel. +49 2161 664864<br />
Fax +49 2161 631045<br />
info@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
Microtec Srl<br />
Via Po’, 53/55<br />
30030, Mellaredo di Pianiga (VE),<br />
Italy<br />
Tel.: +39 041 519<strong>06</strong>21<br />
Fax.: +39 041 5194765<br />
info@microtecsrl.com<br />
www.biocomp.it<br />
Cardia Bioplastics<br />
Suite 6, 205-211 Forster Rd<br />
Mt. Waverley, VIC, 3149 Australia<br />
Tel. +61 3 85666800<br />
info@cardiabioplastics.com<br />
www.cardiabioplastics.com<br />
GRAFE-Group<br />
Waldecker Straße 21,<br />
99444 Blankenhain, Germany<br />
Tel. +49 36459 45 0<br />
www.grafe.com<br />
Sample Charge:<br />
39mm x 6,00 €<br />
= 234,00 € per entry/per issue<br />
Sample Charge for one year:<br />
6 issues x 234,00 EUR = 1,404.00 €<br />
The entry in our Suppliers Guide is<br />
bookable for one year (6 issues) and<br />
extends automatically if it’s not canceled<br />
three month before expiry.<br />
Tel: +86 351-8689356<br />
Fax: +86 351-8689718<br />
www.jinhuizhaolong.com<br />
ecoworldsales@jinhuigroup.com<br />
API S.p.A.<br />
Via Dante Alighieri, 27<br />
36<strong>06</strong>5 Mussolente (VI), Italy<br />
Telephone +39 0424 579711<br />
www.apiplastic.com<br />
www.apinatbio.com<br />
Green Dot Bioplastics<br />
226 Broadway | PO Box #142<br />
Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845, USA<br />
Tel.: +1 620-273-8919<br />
info@greendotholdings.com<br />
www.greendotpure.com<br />
www.facebook.com<br />
www.issuu.com<br />
www.twitter.com<br />
www.youtube.com<br />
Xinjiang Blue Ridge Tunhe<br />
Polyester Co., Ltd.<br />
No. 316, South Beijing Rd. Changji,<br />
Xinjiang, 831100, P.R.China<br />
Tel.: +86 994 2713175<br />
Mob: +86 13905253382<br />
lilong_tunhe@163.com<br />
www.lanshantunhe.com<br />
PBAT & PBS resin supplier<br />
BIO-FED<br />
Branch of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH<br />
BioCampus Cologne<br />
Nattermannallee 1<br />
50829 Cologne, Germany<br />
Tel.: +49 221 88 88 94-00<br />
info@bio-fed.com<br />
www.bio-fed.com<br />
NUREL Engineering Polymers<br />
Ctra. Barcelona, km 329<br />
50016 Zaragoza, Spain<br />
Tel: +34 976 465 579<br />
inzea@samca.com<br />
www.inzea-biopolymers.com<br />
58 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Suppliers Guide<br />
Sukano AG<br />
Chaltenbodenstraße 23<br />
CH-8834 Schindellegi<br />
Tel. +41 44 787 57 77<br />
Fax +41 44 787 57 78<br />
www.sukano.com<br />
Kaneka Belgium N.V.<br />
Nijverheidsstraat 16<br />
2260 Westerlo-Oevel, Belgium<br />
Tel: +32 (0)14 25 78 36<br />
Fax: +32 (0)14 25 78 81<br />
info.biopolymer@kaneka.be<br />
TIPA-Corp. Ltd<br />
Hanagar 3 Hod<br />
Hasharon 45013<strong>06</strong>, ISRAEL<br />
P.O BOX 7132<br />
Tel: +972-9-779-6000<br />
Fax: +972 -9-7715828<br />
www.tipa-corp.com<br />
Natur-Tec ® - Northern Technologies<br />
4201 Woodland Road<br />
Circle Pines, MN 55014 USA<br />
Tel. +1 763.404.8700<br />
Fax +1 763.225.6645<br />
info@natur-tec.com<br />
www.natur-tec.com<br />
4. Bioplastics products<br />
TECNARO GmbH<br />
Bustadt 40<br />
D-74360 Ilsfeld. Germany<br />
Tel: +49 (0)7<strong>06</strong>2/97687-0<br />
www.tecnaro.de<br />
1.3 PLA<br />
TianAn Biopolymer<br />
No. 68 Dagang 6th Rd,<br />
Beilun, Ningbo, China, 315800<br />
Tel. +86-57 48 68 62 50 2<br />
Fax +86-57 48 68 77 98 0<br />
enquiry@tianan-enmat.com<br />
www.tianan-enmat.com<br />
1.6 masterbatches<br />
Bio-on S.p.A.<br />
Via Santa Margherita al Colle 10/3<br />
40136 Bologna - ITALY<br />
Tel.: +39 051 392336<br />
info@bio-on.it<br />
www.bio-on.it<br />
NOVAMONT S.p.A.<br />
Via Fauser , 8<br />
28100 Novara - ITALIA<br />
Fax +39.0321.699.601<br />
Tel. +39.0321.699.611<br />
www.novamont.com<br />
Zhejiang Hisun Biomaterials Co.,Ltd.<br />
No.97 Waisha Rd, Jiaojiang District,<br />
Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China<br />
Tel: +86-576-88827723<br />
pla@hisunpharm.com<br />
www.hisunplas.com<br />
weforyou PLA & Applications<br />
office@weforyou.pro<br />
www.weforyou.pro<br />
1.4 starch-based bioplastics<br />
BIOTEC<br />
Biologische Naturverpackungen<br />
Werner-Heisenberg-Strasse 32<br />
46446 Emmerich/Germany<br />
Tel.: +49 (0) 2822 – 92510<br />
info@biotec.de<br />
www.biotec.de<br />
Grabio Greentech Corporation<br />
Tel: +886-3-598-6496<br />
No. 91, Guangfu N. Rd., Hsinchu<br />
Industrial Park,Hukou Township,<br />
Hsinchu County 30351, Taiwan<br />
sales@grabio.com.tw<br />
www.grabio.com.tw<br />
GRAFE-Group<br />
Waldecker Straße 21,<br />
99444 Blankenhain, Germany<br />
Tel. +49 36459 45 0<br />
www.grafe.com<br />
Albrecht Dinkelaker<br />
Polymer and Product Development<br />
Blumenweg 2<br />
79669 Zell im Wiesental, Germany<br />
Tel.:+49 (0) 7625 91 84 58<br />
info@polyfea2.de<br />
www.caprowax-p.eu<br />
2. Additives/Secondary raw materials<br />
GRAFE-Group<br />
Waldecker Straße 21,<br />
99444 Blankenhain, Germany<br />
Tel. +49 36459 45 0<br />
www.grafe.com<br />
3. Semi finished products<br />
3.1 films<br />
Bio4Pack GmbH<br />
D-48419 Rheine, Germany<br />
Tel.: +49 (0) 5975 955 94 57<br />
info@bio4pack.com<br />
www.bio4pack.com<br />
BeoPlast Besgen GmbH<br />
Bioplastics injection moulding<br />
Industriestraße 64<br />
D-40764 Langenfeld, Germany<br />
Tel. +49 2173 84840-0<br />
info@beoplast.de<br />
www.beoplast.de<br />
INDOCHINE C, M, Y , K BIO C , M, Y, K PLASTIQUES<br />
45, 0,90, 0<br />
10, 0, 80,0<br />
(ICBP) C, M, Y, KSDN BHD<br />
C, M, Y, K<br />
50, 0 ,0, 0<br />
0, 0, 0, 0<br />
D-09, Jalan Tanjung A/4,<br />
Free Trade Zone<br />
Port of Tanjung Pelepas<br />
81560 Johor, Malaysia<br />
T. +607-507 1585<br />
icbp.bioplastic@gmail.com<br />
www.icbp.com.my<br />
President Packaging Ind., Corp.<br />
PLA Paper Hot Cup manufacture<br />
In Taiwan, www.ppi.com.tw<br />
Tel.: +886-6-570-4<strong>06</strong>6 ext.5531<br />
Fax: +886-6-570-4077<br />
sales@ppi.com.tw<br />
6. Equipment<br />
6.1 Machinery & Molds<br />
Buss AG<br />
Hohenrainstrasse 10<br />
4133 Pratteln / Switzerland<br />
Tel.: +41 61 825 66 00<br />
Fax: +41 61 825 68 58<br />
info@busscorp.com<br />
www.busscorp.com<br />
Molds, Change Parts and Turnkey<br />
Solutions for the PET/Bioplastic<br />
Container Industry<br />
284 Pinebush Road<br />
Cambridge Ontario<br />
Canada N1T 1Z6<br />
Tel. +1 519 624 9720<br />
Fax +1 519 624 9721<br />
info@hallink.com<br />
www.hallink.com<br />
6.2 Laboratory Equipment<br />
1.5 PHA<br />
Bio-on S.p.A.<br />
Via Santa Margherita al Colle 10/3<br />
40136 Bologna - ITALY<br />
Tel.: +39 051 392336<br />
info@bio-on.it<br />
www.bio-on.it<br />
Infiana Germany GmbH & Co. KG<br />
Zweibrückenstraße 15-25<br />
91301 Forchheim<br />
Tel. +49-9191 81-0<br />
Fax +49-9191 81-212<br />
www.infiana.com<br />
Minima Technology Co., Ltd.<br />
Esmy Huang, COO<br />
No.33. Yichang E. Rd., Taipin City,<br />
Taichung County<br />
411, Taiwan (R.O.C.)<br />
Tel. +886(4)2277 6888<br />
Fax +883(4)2277 6989<br />
Mobil +886(0)982-829988<br />
esmy@minima-tech.com<br />
Skype esmy325<br />
www.minima.com<br />
MODA: Biodegradability Analyzer<br />
SAIDA FDS INC.<br />
143-10 Isshiki, Yaizu,<br />
Shizuoka,Japan<br />
Tel:+81-54-624-6260<br />
Info2@moda.vg<br />
www.saidagroup.jp<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 59
Suppliers Guide<br />
7. Plant engineering<br />
‘Basics‘ book<br />
on bioplastics<br />
110 pages full<br />
color, paperback<br />
ISBN 978-3-<br />
9814981-1-0:<br />
Bioplastics<br />
ISBN 978-3-<br />
9814981-2-7:<br />
Biokunststoffe<br />
2. überarbeitete<br />
Auflage<br />
This book, created and published by Polymedia<br />
Publisher, maker of bioplastics MAGAZINE<br />
is available in English and German language<br />
(German now in the second, revised edition).<br />
EREMA Engineering Recycling<br />
Maschinen und Anlagen GmbH<br />
Unterfeldstrasse 3<br />
4052 Ansfelden, AUSTRIA<br />
Phone: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-0<br />
Fax: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-23<br />
erema@erema.at<br />
www.erema.at<br />
Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH<br />
Holzhauser Strasse 157–159<br />
D-13509 Berlin<br />
Tel. +49 30 43 567 5<br />
Fax +49 30 43 567 699<br />
sales.de@uhde-inventa-fischer.com<br />
Uhde Inventa-Fischer AG<br />
Via Innovativa 31, CH-7013 Domat/Ems<br />
Tel. +41 81 632 63 11<br />
Fax +41 81 632 74 03<br />
sales.ch@uhde-inventa-fischer.com<br />
www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com<br />
9. Services<br />
European Bioplastics e.V.<br />
Marienstr. 19/20<br />
10117 Berlin, Germany<br />
Tel. +49 30 284 82 350<br />
Fax +49 30 284 84 359<br />
info@european-bioplastics.org<br />
www.european-bioplastics.org<br />
10.2 Universities<br />
Institut für Kunststofftechnik<br />
Universität Stuttgart<br />
Böblinger Straße 70<br />
70199 Stuttgart<br />
Tel +49 711/685-62814<br />
silvia.kliem@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de<br />
www.ikt.uni-stuttgart.de<br />
Michigan State University<br />
Dept. of Chem. Eng & Mat. Sc.<br />
Professor Ramani Narayan<br />
East Lansing MI 48824, USA<br />
Tel. +1 517 719 7163<br />
narayan@msu.edu<br />
The book is intended to offer a rapid and uncomplicated<br />
introduction into the subject of bioplastics, and is aimed at all<br />
interested readers, in particular those who have not yet had<br />
the opportunity to dig deeply into the subject, such as students<br />
or those just joining this industry, and lay readers. It gives<br />
an introduction to plastics and bioplastics, explains which<br />
renewable resources can be used to produce bioplastics,<br />
what types of bioplastic exist, and which ones are already on<br />
the market. Further aspects, such as market development,<br />
the agricultural land required, and waste disposal, are also<br />
examined.<br />
An extensive index allows the reader to find specific aspects<br />
quickly, and is complemented by a comprehensive literature<br />
list and a guide to sources of additional information on the<br />
Internet.<br />
The author Michael Thielen is editor and publisher<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE. He is a qualified machinery design<br />
engineer with a degree in plastics technology from the RWTH<br />
University in Aachen. He has written several books on the<br />
subject of blow-moulding technology and disseminated his<br />
knowledge of plastics in numerous presentations, seminars,<br />
guest lectures and teaching assignments.<br />
Order now for € 18.65 or US-$ 25.00 (+<br />
VAT where applicable, plus shipping and handling, ask<br />
for details) order at www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/books,<br />
by phone +49 2161 6884463 or by e-mail<br />
books@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
Or subscribe and get it as a free gift<br />
(see page 61 for details, outside German y only)<br />
Osterfelder Str. 3<br />
46047 Oberhausen<br />
Tel.: +49 (0)208 8598 1227<br />
thomas.wodke@umsicht.fhg.de<br />
www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de<br />
narocon<br />
Dr. Harald Kaeb<br />
Tel.: +49 30-28096930<br />
kaeb@narocon.de<br />
www.narocon.de<br />
9. Services (continued)<br />
nova-Institut GmbH<br />
Chemiepark Knapsack<br />
Industriestrasse 300<br />
50354 Huerth, Germany<br />
Tel.: +49(0)2233-48-14 40<br />
E-Mail: contact@nova-institut.de<br />
www.biobased.eu<br />
10. Institutions<br />
10.1 Associations<br />
BPI - The Biodegradable<br />
Products Institute<br />
331 West 57th Street, Suite 415<br />
New York, NY 10019, USA<br />
Tel. +1-888-274-5646<br />
info@bpiworld.org<br />
IfBB – Institute for Bioplastics<br />
and Biocomposites<br />
University of Applied Sciences<br />
and Arts Hanover<br />
Faculty II – Mechanical and<br />
Bioprocess Engineering<br />
Heisterbergallee 12<br />
30453 Hannover, Germany<br />
Tel.: +49 5 11 / 92 96 - 22 69<br />
Fax: +49 5 11 / 92 96 - 99 - 22 69<br />
lisa.mundzeck@hs-hannover.de<br />
www.ifbb-hannover.de/<br />
10.3 Other Institutions<br />
Green Serendipity<br />
Caroli Buitenhuis<br />
IJburglaan 836<br />
1087 EM Amsterdam<br />
The Netherlands<br />
Tel.: +31 6-24216733<br />
www.greenseredipity.nl<br />
60 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
Events<br />
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1,2) € 99.-<br />
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end a scan of your<br />
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European Biopolymer Summit<br />
14.02.2018 - 15.02.2018 - Duesseldorf, Germany<br />
www.wplgroup.com/aci/event/biopolymer-conference-europe/<br />
You can meet us<br />
World Bio Markets<br />
20.03.2018 - 22.03.2018 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands<br />
https://www.biobasedworldnews.com/events/world-bio-markets<br />
International Seminar PLASTICS ARE FUTURE<br />
24.04.2018 - 25.04.2018 - Valencia, Spain<br />
http://www.plasticsarefuture.com/home.php<br />
CHINAPLAS 2018<br />
The 32nd International Exhibition on Plastics &<br />
Rubber Industries<br />
24.04.2018 - 27.04.2018 - Shanghai, China<br />
adsale.hk/t.aspx?unt=2545-CPS18_Bioplastics_EN_calender<br />
ISSN 1862-5258<br />
WWW.MATERBI.COM COME TO VISIT US AT<br />
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Highlights<br />
Fibres & Textiles | 14<br />
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Basics<br />
Land use | 43<br />
ISSN 1862-5258<br />
Nov/Dec<br />
<strong>06</strong> | <strong>2017</strong><br />
Highlights<br />
Films / Flexibles / Bags | 12<br />
Polyurethanes / Elastomers | 14<br />
Basics<br />
Blown Film Extrusion | 48<br />
Polymer/Bioplastic Failure & Defects Problem Solving<br />
25.04.2018 – 26.04.2018 - Amsterdam<br />
http://innoplastsolutions.com/courses/polymers-bioplastic-faliure.html<br />
5 th PLA World Congress<br />
by bioplastics MAGAZINE<br />
29.-30. 05.2018 - Munich, Germany<br />
www.pla-world-congress.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 12<br />
e tore_bioplasticmagazine_11.12.<strong>2017</strong>_210x297_flagEBC_ese.indd 1 03/11/17 15:22<br />
... is read in 92 countries<br />
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bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 12<br />
C, M, Y , K<br />
45, 0,90, 0<br />
C, M, Y, K<br />
50, 0 ,0, 0<br />
C , M, Y, K<br />
10, 0, 80,0<br />
C, M, Y, K<br />
0, 0, 0, 0<br />
Cover Story:<br />
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Industry Anchor |10<br />
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25.<strong>06</strong>.2018 - 28.<strong>06</strong>.2018 - New York City Area, USA<br />
http://innoplastsolutions.com/bio.html<br />
BIO World Congress<br />
16.07.2018 - 19.07.2018 - Philadelphia PA, USA<br />
www.bio.org/worldcongress<br />
25th Anniversary meeting of the Bio-Environmental<br />
Polymer Society (BEPS)<br />
15.08.2018 - 17.08.2018 - Rensselaer Polytechnic University<br />
(RPI) (Troy, New York)<br />
http://homepages.rpi.edu/~grossr/index.htm<br />
or<br />
Mention the promotion code ‘watch‘ or ‘book‘<br />
and you will get our watch or the book 3)<br />
Bioplastics Basics. Applications. Markets. for free<br />
1) Offer valid until 28 February 2018<br />
3) Gratis-Buch in Deutschland nicht möglich, no free book in Germany<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12 61
Companies in this issue<br />
Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert<br />
ABB 10<br />
ACIB 36<br />
Adler Plastics 20<br />
Adsale (Chinaplas) 29<br />
Agrana Starch Bioplastics 58<br />
AIMPLAS 34, 36<br />
Amyris 26<br />
API Applicazioni Plastiche Industriali 7, 43 58<br />
Arlanxeao 14<br />
Avantium 34<br />
Barbier Group 13<br />
BASF 49 58<br />
Bcomp 45<br />
BeginAgain 24<br />
Beoplast 59<br />
Beta Analytic 14<br />
Bio4pack 41 59<br />
Bio-Fed Branch of Akro-Plastic 35, 58<br />
Bio-on 5 59<br />
Biotec 59<br />
BPI 6 60<br />
Braskem 7, 14, 38, 39, 41<br />
British Plastics Federation 5<br />
Bulldog Skin Care 39<br />
Buss 59<br />
Caprowachs, Albrecht Dinkelaker 59<br />
Caravelas 38<br />
Cardia Bioplastics 13 58<br />
Cathay Industrial Biotech 8<br />
Coop 41<br />
Corapack 39<br />
Covestro 21<br />
Dezhou Xinhuarun Techn. 20<br />
DIN-Certco 6<br />
Dr. Heinz Gupta Verlag 22<br />
DS Smith 44<br />
DSM 22<br />
Dynisco 27<br />
EcoPlaza 41<br />
Electric GT 45<br />
Ellen MacArthur Foundation 5<br />
EMS-Grivory 7<br />
Erema 25, 60<br />
European Bioplastics 6, 10, 43 60<br />
European Parliament 5, 6<br />
Ferguson Production 25<br />
FKuR 44 2, 58<br />
Ford Motor Company 17<br />
Fraunhofer UMSICHT 52 60<br />
Futamura 39<br />
Global Biopolymers 58<br />
Glycon 27<br />
Goodyear Tire & Rubber 40<br />
GRABIO Greentech Corporation 59<br />
Grafe 58, 59<br />
Green Dot Bioplastics 24 58<br />
Green Serendipity 60<br />
Growfun 40<br />
Gulf Petrochem. & Chem. Ass. 5<br />
Halder Topsoe 7<br />
Hallink 59<br />
Henkel 30<br />
Hexpol TPE 18 14<br />
Hydal 8, 11<br />
Indochine Bio Plastiques 59<br />
Infiana Germany 59<br />
InnProBio 8<br />
Inst. f. Bioplastics & Biocomp. 60<br />
Inst. F. Macromol. Studies 20<br />
Inst. Polym. Comp. & Biomat. 20<br />
IRIAF 37<br />
ISCC 16, 17<br />
Jinhui Zhaolong 58<br />
Kaneka 11 59<br />
Kingfa 58<br />
Kuraray 26<br />
Mädler 21<br />
Maip 10<br />
Malaysian Plastics Association 13<br />
Marks & Spencer 5<br />
Michigan State University 60<br />
Microtec 58<br />
Mid-Continent Tool & Molding 25<br />
Minima Technology 59<br />
Mondi 28<br />
Montgomery County Dept. 41<br />
Nafigate 8<br />
narocon 60<br />
Natureplast 37<br />
NatureWorks 23, 44<br />
Natur-Tec 59<br />
nova Institute 19, 60<br />
Novamont 59, 64<br />
NPE 33<br />
Nurel 58<br />
Packaging South Africa 5<br />
Parana 8<br />
PepsiCo 5<br />
Perstorp 16<br />
Pike's Peak Plastics 24<br />
plasticker 13<br />
Plásticos Romeros 36<br />
Plastiroll 39, 41, 43<br />
Plymouth Marine Laboratory 5<br />
Poiesz 41<br />
polymediaconsult 60<br />
President Packaging 59<br />
ProAmpac 41<br />
Promessa 41<br />
PTT/MCC 58<br />
Reverdia 20<br />
Rodenburg Biopolymers 40<br />
Roquette 58<br />
Roquette 21<br />
RPC 39<br />
Saida 59<br />
Sea-Lect Design 24<br />
Secos Group 13<br />
Sprig 43<br />
Stéfany Emballages Services 37<br />
Stellar Films 13<br />
Sukano 59<br />
SuperUnie 41<br />
Synbra 38, 44<br />
Synprodo 44<br />
Tapp Water 42<br />
Tecnaro 40 59<br />
Tesla 45<br />
TianAn Biopolymer 59<br />
Tipa 55<br />
Total-Corbion 9, 44 58<br />
Trinseo 7, 43<br />
Uhde Inventa-Fischer 60<br />
Unilever 5<br />
United Soybean Board 17, 40<br />
Univ. App. Sc. Hannover 46<br />
Univ. Leiden 36<br />
Univ. Stuttgart (IKT) 60<br />
Univ. Wageningen 40<br />
Univ Dortmund 474<br />
Vaude 20<br />
Veolia 5<br />
Waarmakers 37<br />
Wageningen Food & Biobased Res. 37<br />
Wageningen UR 21<br />
Weforyou 36 59<br />
Wildo Sweden 18<br />
Wolfgang Mock 40<br />
WWF 5<br />
Xinjiang Blue Ridge Tunhe Polyester 58<br />
Zaraplast 38<br />
Zhejiang Hangzhou Xinfu Pharm. 58<br />
Zhejiang Hisun Biomaterials 59<br />
<strong>Issue</strong><br />
Editorial Planner<br />
Month<br />
Publ.<br />
Date<br />
edit/ad/<br />
Deadline<br />
<strong>2017</strong>/18<br />
Edit. Focus 1 Edit. Focus 2 Edit. Focus 3 Basics<br />
01/2018 Jan/Feb 08 Jan 18 22 Dec 17 Automotive Foam Thailand (t.b.c) t.b.d.<br />
Trade-Fair<br />
Specials<br />
Subject to changes<br />
62 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>06</strong>/17] Vol. 12
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