Issue 04/2016

ISSN 1862-5258
Highlights
Blow Moulding | 12
Toys | 22
July/August
04 | 2016
Basics
Additives | 38
bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 11
... is read in 92 countries

GO GREEN. STAY WARM.
Dealing more responsibly with resources will contribute to save our environment for
the following generations. Hugo Frosch is aware of this responsibility and has worked
from the very beginning to develop products which have a positive ecological balance.
The result: 50 % less material is used for the production of Hugo Frosch’s eco hot
water bottles compared to conventional hot water bottles, and energy savings
of about 60 % are thereby achieved. Additionally the technically innovative
and patented eco hot water bottle is produced from over 90 % renewable
resources.
Inside and outside organic: The eco hot water bottles mainly consist
of polyethylene based on sugarcane and contain no plasticizers
(phthalates), furthermore they are inserted in organic cotton
covers from certifi ed organic farming (kbA).
www.hugo-frosch.de

Editorial
dear
readers
Summer has finally arrived – and about time, as well! Most of us in Northern
Europe waited long enough for it to come this year. And now, to top it off, the August
issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE has now also arrived.
We seem to have hit the jackpot when we chose Toys as the first highlight
of this issue. I must admit that I was overwhelmed, when I saw the number
of articles contributed on this topic. Next to packaging, toys are apparently
becoming the second biggest area of application for bioplastics, as parents
increasingly recognize the benefits of natural based products, free of
phthalates, BPA and the like. What is more, they also seem willing to pay a
little extra for toys that are better for their offspring and that are produced
more sustainably.
ISSN 1862-5258
Highlights
Blow Moulding | 12
Toys | 22
Basics
Additives | 38
July/August
04 | 2016
The second highlight topic is Blow Moulding or Bottle Applications, where
we report on a new development that I saw at Chinaplas this spring for
the first time. The application is one that you would normally not expect: a
bottle made from WPC.
The topic of the Basics section in this issue is Additives. Most plastics,
whether biobased or made from oil, need to be compounded with additives
before being processed into final parts. Additives for bioplastics are an
important area of development, especially in view of such sensitive and
important applications as toys and packaging.
It’s also time to look ahead to October of this year. The K-Show, the
world’s biggest trade fair for the plastics and rubber industry, is being held
in Düsseldorf, Germany from 19 to 26 October. In our next issue, we will provide a
comprehensive preview, including a show guide complete with a floor plan.
Come and visit us in hall 7a, booth B10, where we will also celebrate a small
Birthday Party for our 10 th anniversary this year. Once again, we will also be organizing
our Bioplastics Business Breakfasts at K’2016 from October 20 to 22. For more
information and the complete programme, see pp 10 – 11.
Finally, I’d like to encourage all of you to submit proposals for the next Global
Bioplastics Award (for details, see page 51). This year marks the 11 th anniversary of
the Bioplastics Oskar, which will be presented to the winner of the Award during the
11 th European Bioplastics Conference on November 29 th in Berlin, Germany.
We hope to see you at the K-Show… until then, enjoy the summer – and of course,
have a great time reading bioplastics MAGAZINE.
bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 11
... is read in 92 countries
Follow us on twitter!
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Sincerely yours
Like us on Facebook!
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Michael Thielen
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11 3

Content
Imprint
Blow Moulding
12 Bio-packaging of liquid dairy products
16 Blow moulding of WPC bottles
17 A new, cost-effective route to PEF
Events
10 Biobased Business Breakfast
Toys
22 Toymakers are the vanguard of material
innovation
24 Bio-alternatives for soft PVC
26 PHA resins for toys
28 Toys for a better future
30 Toys are not child’s play
31 LEGO looks for sustainable alternatives
32 Cracking the Code of Durable Bioplastics
for the Toy Market
Materials
36 BIO4 SELF
Additives
38 Sneaky peaky creatures depriving
biolastics!
Certification
40 Confidence is good - DIN geprüft is better
Basics
42 Do Bioplastics need additives?
Bioadditives?
10 Years Ago
44 Definition of “Bioplastics”
04|2016
July / August
3 Editorial
5 News
18 Application News
46 Suppliers Guide
49 Event Calendar
50 Companies in this issue
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Karen Laird (KL)
Samuel Brangenberg (SB)
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Media Sales Representative
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Print run: 3,700 copies
bioplastics magazine
ISSN 1862-5258
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bioplastics MAGAZINE is read in
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daily upated news at
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com
News
Development of
Durable Bio-PBS
Compounds
A joint development programme on bio-based PBS
(polybutylene succinate) compounds for injection
moulding has been launched by Reverdia and
Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research. The new
bio-PBS compounds will be durable and based on
Biosuccinium.
Development will focus on longevity, appearance
and processing characteristics. Plastic product
manufacturers such as RPC Promens and Teamplast
will collaborate to validate the compounds in reusable
horticultural crates and rigid food packaging with hinges.
The final compounds are expected to have an improved
carbon footprint in comparison to polypropylene which is
typically used for these applications.
“Raw material producers and manufacturers of the
final products will test these new materials, ensuring
that consumers will soon have bio-based and durable
plastics in their hands,” said Lawrence Theunissen from
Reverdia. “The whole value chain is involved in developing
these materials.”
“An important objective of the project is to develop
plastics from renewable raw materials with a much
wider scope of applications, and thus a larger market
potential,” added Karin Molenveld of Wageningen UR. MT
www.reverdia.com | www.wageningenur.nl
New PLA filaments
Plastic raw material supplier Gehr (Mannheim,
Germany) is proud to offer professional 3D printing
filaments made of renewable raw materials under the
brand name FIL-A-GEHR PLA ® .
FIL-A-GEHR PLA is made by NatureWorks and consists
of high-quality Ingeo biopolymer. It stands out for its
great dimensional stability, its very good layer adhesion,
its optimal flow behaviour while printing and its high level
of stiffness as well as its high elastic modulus. Longterm
tests have shown that embrittlement on the coil does not
occur. The PLA raw material is approved to comply with
food contact and toy safety regulations.
Thanks to its low elongation and low shrinkage, FIL-A-
GEHR PLA ® is extremely well-suited for printing precision
parts and very large objects with high dimensional
stability (e. g. moulds). Reduced energy consumption
and low nozzle temperatures while printing are other
advantageous properties of this material. Furthermore,
it can be printed without a heated bed.
www.gehr.de
EU Parliament
emphasises the role
of bioplastics
The industry association European Bioplastics welcomes
the draft reports on the revised EU waste legislation by MEP
Simona Bonafè, Rapporteur of the European Parliament’s
Committee on the Environment, which was published in
early June. The reports lay out the legal measures needed
for a paradigm shift from a linear to a circular economy
where waste is considered a valuable resource, and the
transformation to a low-carbon bioeconomy, which uses
resources more efficiently.
“We welcome the strong and ambitious positions of
Rapporteur Bonafè on encouraging better market conditions
for renewable raw materials and promoting the use of
bio-based materials in packaging,” says François de Bie,
Chairman of European Bioplastics, “because it sends the
right signals to our industry and investors in the bioeconomy”.
The report on the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive
further asks the Commission to assess the feasibility of
gradually replacing food packaging with biobased and/or
biodegradable and compostable packaging solutions. “We
hope that this will encourage Member States to recognise the
benefits of, and create a level-playing field for, bio-based and/
or biodegradable products,” says de Bie.
Furthermore, the report on the amendments to the Waste
Framework Directive places particular emphasis on the
definitions of bio-waste and recycling. It supports the inclusion
of organic recycling (in the form of composting and anaerobic
digestion of organic waste) in the definition of ‘recycling’ and
suggests a future-oriented definition of bio-waste by taking
into account ‘other materials with similar biodegradability
and compostability properties’. “These amendments are
essential to achieve higher recycling targets by making use
of the enormous but yet untapped potential of organic waste
and compostable products in Europe. The largest fraction of
municipal waste (up to 50 %) in Europe is bio-waste, only 25 %
of which are currently collected and recycled,” says de Bie.
The report calls for a mandatory collection of bio-waste by
2020 supported by measures to increase the organic recycling
of bio-waste to 65 % by 2025. The proposed amendments
also foresee limiting the amount of residual municipal waste
landfilled to 25 % by 2025 and to 5 % by 2030 .
“We welcome the connection that the report makes between
the bioeconomy and the responsible use of non-fossil feedstock
in packaging, and the strong focus on resource efficiency along
the entire industrial production cycle, from bio-based materials
and products, to collecting and recycling biowaste.” says Hasso
von Pogrell, Managing Director of European Bioplastics. “On
the basis of these reports, we will continue to discuss with the
European Parliament and all other relevant stakeholders on
how to ensure Europe can decouple the economy from fossil
resources and move towards a circular economy,” von Pogrell
concludes. A position paper on the EU Circular Economy
Package can be found under the following link. MT
http://bit.ly/1t8BpvD
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11 5

News
daily upated news at
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com
New joint venture Carbiolice for bio-sourced and
biodegradable plastic films
From 1 January 2017 onwards, via its Energy Transition and Green Growth Law, France will enforce the use of bio-sourced
and biodegradable plastics for fruit & vegetable bags (35,000 tons per year) and other films. The joint venture Carbiolice shall
address this challenge in the long term by continuing to develop biolice by Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients (Riom, France) and
industrialising technological innovation licenced by Carbios (Saint-Beauzire, France).
Carbiolice is the product of a partnership between Carbios’ innovative technology and Limagrain’s technical, industrial and
commercial expertise acquired over more than 15 years in the bioplastics sector. Carbios is providing major innovation with its
enzymatic technology. Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients is providing its expertise and existing production capacity for bioplastic
granules, known under the brand name biolice. The SPI “Industrial Projects Company” investment fund, financed by the PIA
Future Investments Programme and run by Bpifrance, will round off the financial partnership to support the expansion of
industrial production.
The future company shall take over Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients’ bioplastics activity and progressively integrate the
technological innovations licenced by Carbios over time. The granules will be used to produce bio-sourced and biodegradable
plastic films for a variety of applications including green waste collection bags, mulch films, fruit & vegetable bags, industrial
films and even mailing films. Theses biodegradable plastics will meet the increasingly stringent requirements defined by
France’s energy transition law.
The future company will, in the long term, create 50 direct jobs and support one of the first green chemistry technologies
currently under development and to be deployed on an industrial scale in France.
The contributions from industrial assets and licences result in a project total of EUR 29.5 million. The SPI fund will invest
EUR 11 million over this period to ultimately reach a 37 % shareholding in Carbiolice. These investments will help to ensure
activity growth by progressively acquiring additional industrial capacity. They will also help to support the industrial and
commercial development of the new plastic materials derived from Carbios technology. MT
www.lci.limagrain.com | www.carbios.fr
Novamont and Barbier Group to develop new
home compostable bag for fruits and vegetables
Italian bioplastics firm Novamont and French leading producer of plastic films Barbier Group announced today they have
signed a partnership aimed at the development of a new kind of bioplastic lightweight bag for fruits and vegetables.
The new bag, to be marketed under the name Ma-Ter-Bio (the bag for planet Earth), will offer a more sustainable alternative
to traditional non-biodegradable and non-compostable plastic packaging.
As required under French law, the new bag is plant based, suitable for home composting and obtained from locally sourced
starch and sunflower oil. Ma-Ter-Bio is made with at least 35 %, up to over 50 %, renewable content from biomass.
The Barbier Group is the leading French producer of plastic films, and ranks as the sixth largest in Europe. The company sells
polyethylene sheeting for agriculture and industry, as well as bags for the supermarket sector (for vegetables and fruits, waste
collection, with soft handles). The Group has been developing products from both recycled and biodegradable/compostable
materials for over 15 years. All its products are covered by the trademark “Guaranteed French Origin”.
Novamont is the pioneer company in the sector of biodegradable and compostable bioplastics from renewable sources.
Founded in 1989, it built its growth on the principles of the circular bioeconomy and the production of bioplastic materials
that formed an alternative to traditional plastics from fossil sources. The Italybased
bioplastics manufacturer of the Mater-Bi line of bioplastics is a global
leader in this field, with an annual production capacity of 150,000 tons.
With marked prescience, Novamont opened its French subsidiary in 2006 to
follow the developments relating to the new energy transition law more closely,
as well as to monitor the local market as a whole. This has led to the signing of
a partnership agreement with a French company, thus laying the basis for the
supply of locally sourced materials. According to Novamont, this is a first step
towards the creation of a production site on French soil. KL
www.novamont.com
6 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

News
Biobased glycol
S2G BioChemicals Inc., a Vancouver, (Canada) based developer of sustainable chemical conversion technologies, has
announced in mid June that the Company has successfully initiated commercial production of fossil-free, bio-based glycols at
the Memphis (Tennessee, USA) site of the Company’s operating partner, Pennakem LLC.
S2G’s proprietary, highly-efficient process was integrated into Pennakem’s existing chemical facility beginning in April 2016
and has produced industrial-grade sugar-based glycols from natural, non-food waste during a five-week scale-up campaign.
The bio-glycols will be used as a drop-in replacement for common petroleum-based chemicals currently used in a wide range
of consumer and industrial products such as resins, PET/PEF plastic drink containers, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, coolants
and antifreeze.
“The successful demonstration of S2G’s Bio-Glycol Process at scale validated the reliability and economic viability of our
technology based on solid operational experience,” said Mark Kirby, President and Chief Executive Officer of S2G. “While glycol
supply has long been dominated by oil and natural gas, S2G has proven our ability to provide natural, fossil-free glycols that
challenge petrochemical glycols on both cost and performance.”
In addition, S2G achieved three significant customer-based milestones throughout the campaign. These included successful
product evaluations by multiple industrial customers; the sale of bio-glycols to an industrial resin plant; and, the production of
sample quantities of United States Pharmacopeia (USP) quality propylene glycol (PG) that has been reserved for select glycol
customers who have expressed interest in sourcing high quality bio-glycols as a replacement for their petrochemical-derived
sources.
“S2G bio-glycols have identical performance to petroleum-based materials, yet they generate far less greenhouse gas
emissions,” said Jeff Plato, Director, Corporate and Business Development of S2G. “S2G looks forward to its products
being integrated into the value chains of multi-national consumer and industrial product companies who want to curtail
petrochemical-use and provide more sustainable products for their customers.”
“We are extremely impressed with the seamless integration of S2G’s innovative, high-yield bioconversion process into our
existing chemical production infrastructure,” said Tom Waldman, President of Pennakem. “The combination of S2G’s innovative
process and Pennakem’s 75 years of manufacturing expertise using biorenewable feedstocks will lower costs and could
catalyze the demand for sustainably and economically produced bio-based glycols.”
S2G’s sugar-to-glycol technology is a simple, durable, and efficient process that utilizes low-cost renewable feedstocks
to co-produce an economical supply of high value speciality chemicals and sustainable bio-glycols for use by consumer and
industrial product manufacturers. MT
www. s2gbiochem.com
Processing performance of bioplastics – A new
database for manufacturing companies
Embedded in the framework of a joint project of four partners, process data of bioplastics, which are available in the market,
are clearly arranged as a new, freely accessible internet database. The database provides users an opportunity to address the
two approaches concerning the processing of bioplastics, which arise either out of material properties or process techniques.
In the first case, the user has the knowledge of conventional materials but is looking for a bioplastic alternative, which can be a
suitable substitute. Concerning the second case, the user can simulate the process technique by searching for the appropriate
bioplastic that is suited for this process technique from the database.
For a quick orientation, the first material evaluation results for the database user are categorized by means of a traffic light
system. If the user has made a pre-selection, he can now delve deeper into the subject by viewing the data collected during the
project. The user can easily transfer the data in the form of reports, to his machine.
Derived from the focus of the project, the different processing characteristics such as blow moulding or demoulding behavior
in the injection moulding process are being dealt with. The process data is based on scientific laboratory experiments as well
as experimental setups from practice. They serve users as code of practice in the processing of bioplastics.
In addition to this database, a guideline was published. Both the database and the guideline are currently in German language.
only. They will soon be also available in English.
This project is supported by the German Ministry of Food and Agricultur. MT
www.biokunststoffe-verarbeiten.de
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11 7

News
Bio-based auto-parts from
tequila by-products
Ford Motor Company (Dearborn, Michigen, USA) is teaming
up with Jose Cuervo ® (Tlaquepaque, Mexico) to explore the
use of the tequila producer’s agave plant byproduct to develop
more sustainable bioplastics to employ in Ford vehicles.
Ford and Jose Cuervo are testing the bioplastic for use
in vehicle interior and exterior components such as
wiring harnesses, HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air
Conditioning) units and storage bins. Initial assessments
suggest the material holds great promise due to its
durability and aesthetic qualities. Success in developing
a sustainable composite could reduce vehicle weight
and lower energy consumption, while paring the use of
petrochemicals and the impact of vehicle production
on the environment.
“At Ford, we aim to reduce our impact on the
environment,” said Debbie Mielewski, Ford senior
technical leader, sustainability research department.
“As a leader in the sustainability space, we are
developing new technologies to efficiently employ
discarded materials and fibers, while potentially
reducing the use of petrochemicals and lightweighting
our vehicles for desired fuel economy.”
The growth cycle of the agave plant is a minimum
seven-year process. Once harvested, the heart of
the plant is roasted, before grinding and extracting its juices
for distillation. Jose Cuervo uses a portion of the remaining
agave fibers as compost for its farms, and local artisans
make crafts and agave paper from the remnants.
Now, as part of Jose Cuervo’s broader sustainability plan,
the tequila maker is joining forces with the automaker to
develop a new way to use its remnant fibers.
“Jose Cuervo is proud to be working with Ford to further
develop our agave sustainability plan,” said Sonia Espinola,
director of heritage for Cuervo Foundation and master
tequilera. “As the world’s No. 1-selling tequila, we could
never have imagined that the hundreds of agave plants we
were cultivating as a small family business would eventually
multiply to millions. This collaboration brings two great
companies together to develop innovative, earth-conscious
materials.”
Like Ford Motor Company, Jose Cuervo is family-owned
and operated. Founded in 1795, it has been making
tequila for more than 220 years with the same experience,
craftsmanship and recipes that have been handed down
generation through generation.
The collaboration with Jose Cuervo is the latest
example of Ford’s innovative approach to product
and environmental stewardship through the use
of biomaterials. Ford began researching the use
of sustainable materials in its vehicles in 2000.
Today, the automaker uses eight sustainable-based
materials in its vehicles including soy foam, castor
oil, wheat straw, kenaf fiber, cellulose, wood, coconut
fiber and rice hulls.
According to the United Nations Environment
Programme, 5 billion tonnes of agricultural
biomass waste is produced annually. A byproduct of
agriculture, the supply of materials is abundant and
often underutilized. Yet the materials can be relatively low
cost, and can help manufacturers to offset the use of glass
fibers and talc for more sustainable, lightweight products.
“There are about 180 kg of plastic on a typical car,” said
Mielewski. “Our job is to find the right place for a green
composite like this to help our impact on the planet. It is work
that I’m really proud of, and it could have broad impact across
numerous industries.” MT
www.ford.com | www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN32wUwo2xc
10 th Anniversary of bioplastics plant – EcoCortec
Cortec ® Corporation (St. Paul, Minnesota, USA) recently informed that one of the most advanced bioplastics manufacturers
in Europe – EcoCortec ® is celebrating its 10 th anniversary. The project started in 2006 with greenfield investment by Croatian-
American entrepreneur Boris Miksic. Today the plant has evolved in one of the most modern European manufacturers of
environmentally safe films for corrosion protection. Continuous business growth is the result of innovative technology combined
with high efficiency products and environmentally safe properties.
Only this year the company sales grew by 20,6 % compared to 2015 and during the past 10 years the manufacturer has tripled
its production capacity. The plant exports more than 90 % of its assortment to countries of Europe, Asia and USA.
In the past years EcoCortec ® has been successfully participating in large European-funded projects. The company played
a major role in international EUR 1,1 million worth Marine Clean Project – ’Marine debris removal preventing further litter
entry’, sponsored by CIP Eco-Innovation Programme. Main goal of the project is preventing hazardous environmental impact
of conventional plastic materials discarded at sea, as well as promoting sustainability and innovative technologies. Currently
the company is negotiating a partnership in a new 2 million-euro project “PLAPAPER” within the Interreg Central Europe
Programme. MT
www.ecocortec.hr/en
8 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

News
BASF extends its portfolio of innovative foam
solutions with ecovio EA
BASF is expanding its range of high performance foam
products with ecovio EA, an expandable, closed-cell foam
material which is biobased and certified compostable.
Largely biobased, it is made of BASF’s biodegradable
polymer ecoflex and PLA, which is derived from corn or other
sugar-generating plants such as manioc. This innovative
patented particle
foam offers properties
similar to those of EPS
and boasts outstanding
energy absorption and
very good resilience,
even when subjected
to multiple impact
loads. This makes it
particularly suitable for
transport packaging
applications, especially for high-value or delicate goods
requiring a high level of impact resistance and robustness.
To produce ecovio EA, expandable granules are charged
with the blowing agent pentane in an innovative process. This
step enables trouble-free pre-expansion of the material on
conventional EPS pre-expanders and subsequent moulding.
The granules are pre-expanded with the addition of steam to
produce closed-cell beads with an adjustable minimum bulk
density of 25 g/l. A short prefoaming time contributes to a low
energy consumption in this production step.
The expanded granules can subsequently be processed into
a variety of different moulded parts on existing EPS or EPP
production machines – no conversions or modification of the
production process required.
Its processing strongly resembles the processing of EPS. It
is, however, necessary to adapt the process parameters. This
is reflected in a shorter steaming time while the cycle time in
the forming step remains overall the same. Due to a shrinkage
rate of approximately 1.5 %, the mould geometries will need
to be adapted. To ensure a very high quality of moulded part
and dimensional stability it is advisable – similar to EPP
processing – to carry out component conditioning in a heating
oven after the shaping.
Its lower rigidity – ecovio EA is somewhere between EPS and
EPP when it comes to its energy absorbing capacity – make
it perfect for use in the E&E sector, as well, in particular for
heavy and delicate packaged goods such as washing machines
or televisions that are easily damaged during transport. The
material offers a minimum thermal conductivity of 0.034 W/
mK, and is therefore also outstandingly suited to all thermal
insulation applications in the transport sector. ecovio EA
helps to maintain the cold chain at all times for temperaturesensitive
goods such as packaged vegetables, fruit, meat,
frozen goods or even medicines, preventing spoilage.
Its inherent properties also allow storage at temperatures of
up to 100 °C over a period of several hours, which means that
Ecovio EA is also suitable for hot-melt adhesive applications.
And, while displaying good resistance to solvents such as
acetone, as a certified compostable product, it contains no
flame retardants.
BASF is currently developing an ecovio EA grade approved for
food contact applications. The material is constantly durable
under normal environmental conditions. Special conditions,
as are found in industrial composting plants, are required to
initiate the biological degradation process. In places where
appropriate waste disposal channels are available through
local composting plants, it is easy to dispose of the foam. The
certified compostability means that it is possible to dispose of
it along with leftover food waste – without needing to separate
the materials beforehand.
Due to the high porosity and the specific surface area of
the foam beads, ecovio EA degrades very quickly in industrial
composting plants. Composting tests have shown that, for
example, cubes of ecovio EA with an edge length of 5 cm and
densities of 28 – 47 g/l break down within the space of five
weeks to form water, CO 2
and biomass. Prior to composting,
the material can also be recycled in grades in customary
recycling processes. MT
www.basf.com
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bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11 9

Events
Bioplastics Business Breakfast
At the World’s biggest trade show on plastics and rubber:
K’2016 in Düsseldorf, Germany, bioplastics will certainly play
an important role again.
On three days during the show from October 20 – 22,
bioplastics MAGAZINE will host a Bioplastics Business
Breakfast: From 8:00 am to 12:30 pm the delegates get the
chance to listen to and discuss high-class presentations
and benefit from a unique networking opportunity. The trade
fair opens at 10 am. Register soon to reserve your seat.
Admission starts at EUR 249.00. The conference fee includes
a free ticket for K’2016 as well as free public transportation
in the greater Düsseldorf area (except taxi).
www.bioplastics-breakfast.com
Preliminary Programme
Thursday, October 20, 2016
8:00-8:05 Welcome remarks Michael Thielen, bioplastics MAGAZINE
8:05-8:25 Market Development in Europe and Government Incentives Harald Kaeb, narocon
8:25-8:45 Evolutions in bioplastics packaging’ Caroli Buitenhuis, Biobased Packaging Innovations
8:45-9:05 Compostable laminates Patrick Gerritsen, bio4pac
9:05-9:25 BoPLA flexible film applications in food and non-food packaging Emanuela Bardi, Taghleef
9:25-9:35 Q&A
9:35-9:55 Mater-Bi: New developments in packaging applications Alberto Castellanza, Novamont
9:55-10:15 The latest INGEO packaging applications and developments Marc Vergauwen, NatureWorks (t.b.c.)
10:15-10:35 Newest compostable packaging solutions based on ecovio ® Sven Wenigmann, BASF
10:35-10:45 Q&A
10:45-11:05 Coffee & Networking
11:05-11:25 Success stories in biodegradable plastics for packaging Chelo Escrig, AIMPLAS
11:25-11:45 Blow moulding of WPC for bottle applications Wonja (Jason) Lee, Doill ECOTEC
11:45-12:05 Enabling bioplastic packaging through application co-development Jo Kockelkoren, Reverdia
12:05-12:25 Degradation of PLA during long-term storage Nikola Kocić, German Plastic Centre (SKZ)
12:25-12:30 Q&A
Friday, October 21, 2016
8:00-8:05 Welcome remarks Michael Thielen, bioplastics MAGAZINE
8:05-8:25 Current situation of PLA in Europe Francois de Bie, European Bioplastics
8:25-8:45 Latest INGEO developments (feedstock, resin grades, applications) Steve Davies, NatureWorks (t.b.c.)
8:45-9:05 Innovations in PLA packaging Hugo Vuurens, Corbion
9:05-9:25 From bench to industrial scale Emmanuel Rapendy, Sulzer Chemtech
9:25-9:35 Q&A
9:35-9:55 Modification of PLA for extrusion applications Nikola Kocić, German Plastic Centre (SKZ)
9:55-10:15 PLA modifications – new recipes make fit for new applications Björn Bermann, Fraunhofer ICT
10:15-10:35 Bioplast 900, what else? Remy Jongboom, Biotec
10:35-10:45 Q&A
10:45-11:05 Coffee & Networking
11:05-11:25 An expanding update on BioFoam E-PLA foam applications (t.b.c.) Jan Noordegraaf, Synbra (t.b.c.)
11:25-11:45 PLA foam coffee cup John Leung, Biosolutions
11:45-12:05 Recycling of PLA in the Pre-Consumer sector Denisa Bellušová, IfBB
12:05-12:25 Messaging biodegradability-compostability – Do’s &Don’t’s Ramani Narayan, Michigan State University
12:25-12:30 Q&A
Saturday, October 22, 2016 moderated by Kathryn Sheridan, Sustainability Consult
8:00-8:05 Welcome remarks Michael Thielen, bioplastics MAGAZINE
8:05-8:25 Current situation of bioplastics for durable applications in Europe Kristy Barbara Lange, European Bioplastics
8:25-8:45 Bioplastics in ABS replacement markets/applications, incl. 3D printing Frank Diodato, NatureWorks (t.b.c.)
8:45-9:05 Durabio engineering bioplastics (t.b.c.) N.N. Mitubishi Chemical (t.b.d.)
9:05-9:25 Keep water safe – EcoPaXX in (drinking) water contact applications Caroline Mitterlehner, DSM
9:25-9:35 Q&A
9:35-9:55 Bioplastics from side streams Kate Parker, Scion
9:55-10:15 Biobased materials for durable applications Lena Scholz, Tecnaro
10:15-10:35 Switching to biomaterials – an holistic approach Daniela Jahn, IfBB
10:35-10:45 Q&A
10:45-11:05 Coffee & Networking
11:05-11:25 Sustainability without compromises - Sukano’s solutions and vision Alessandra Funcia, Sukano
11:25-11:45 Biobased TPE for innovative applications Patrick Zimmermann, FKuR
11:45-12:05 Opportunities in durable PLA applications Bert Clymans, Corbion
12:05-12:25 Why bio-based? Forgotten and new answers Michael Carus, nova-Institute
12:25-12:30 Q&A
Subject to changes
10 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

organized by
20. – 22.10.2016
Messe Düsseldorf, Germany
Bioplastics in
Packaging
BIOPLASTICS
BUSINESS
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Bioplastic
Bioplastics in
Durable applications
At the World’s biggest trade show on plastics and
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Blow Moulding
Bio-packaging of
liquid dairy products
Environmental, economic, safety and regulatory
Definition of requirements and selection of materials
Development of bottle packages
for liquid dairy products
Figure 1: BIOBOTTLE work scheme
Reactive extrusion
Validation at pilot plant scale
Industrial scale up
and product validation
Figure 2: Negative search for pathogenic bacteria
Development of pouches,
lids and caps
The aim of the BIOBOTTLE project is to develop new
biodegradable materials suitable to obtain plastic bottles
and pouches for dairy products; probiotics, fresh
milk and shakes. These packages do not need to be separated
of the rest of the organic waste at the end of their
short shelf-life.
The new packages keep the shelf-life of selected dairy
products in comparison with traditional packages as well
as fulfill different characteristics based on functional,
microbiological, legal requirements for food contact
applications in each case study.
In addition, the new materials are suitable to be
processed by traditional plastic processing methods, such
as blown film coextrusion, extrusion blow moulding and
injection moulding to obtain pouches, bottles and caps,
respectively. The materials are completely biodegradable
under controlled composting conditions (ISO 14885-1:2005)
and are harmless after biodegradation according to the
Compostability Standard, EN 13432.
Market Data
The worldwide output of plastics increases each year,
but the management of plastic disposal has no satisfactory
environmentally friendly solution at the moment because
landfilling is still the first option in many countries [1].
As a consequence of this problem, there has been an
increased interest in using alternative materials such as
biodegradable bioplastics.
Nowadays, the European countries are the biggest
consumer of milk products in the world, with an average
of 219 kg per year (FAO, 2011). Therefore, the use of biomaterials
to package dairy products is especially interesting
for both dairy and plastic industries as well as for the endusers
since the packages can be managed in composting
conditions with the rest of the organic wastes.
Requirements of bio-packages
The requirements that the packages for dairy products
must fulfil are shown in table 1.
According to these requirements, one of the main
difficulties overcame by the researches of the project, was
the thermal limitations of the commercial biodegradable
materials, which showed thermal resistances around
65 ºC. The compounding process has been carried out using
reactive extrusion technology, which lead to the development
of different bio-compounds suitable to obtain the packages
used in thermal treatments such as the sterilization or
pasteurization processes that reach temperatures up to
90 – 95 ºC. The bio-compounds are different PLA based biopolyesters
with renewable content between 20 and 45 %.
Figure 1 shows the development work in the BIOBOTTLE
project.
12 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

Blow Moulding
By:
Pilar Diego, Chelo Escrig
Extrusion Department
AIMPLAS (Plastics Technology Center)
Valencia, Spain
Partners
Seven companies and technological centers have
worked with AIMPLAS, who has coordinated this project;
VLB (Germany), OWS (Belgium), CNR (Italy), VIZELPAS,
ESPAÇOPLAS (Portugal) and ALMUPLAS, ALJUAN (Spain).
About AIMPLAS
AIMPLAS is a Plastics Technology Center located in
Valencia, Spain. It is a non-profit research association
which has the objective of acting as a technological
partner with companies in all sectors related to plastics,
customizing integral and personalized solutions through
the coordination of R&D&I projects and technological
services.
Mode of operation
The 2-year project was finished in May 2016. The first
period of the project was mainly focused on the studies at
lab and pilot plant scale while the second period mostly
concentrated on the industrial scale-up, product validation
and environmental and economic studies, i. e.:
• Definition of requirements, material selection based on
the biodegradable materials and additives and study of
chemical modifications
• Evaluation of bio-compounds’ processability at pilot
plant level considering the different manufacturing
processes: Blown film extrusion and form-sealing
packaging machine to obtain pouches, extrusion blow
moulding for bottles and injection moulding for caps.
• The scaling-up industrial processes according to
the optimized parameters at pilot plant level and the
optimization state to achieve the desired output (see
figures)
• Full characterization and validation of the final industrial
products to be used in the dairy applications defined
Table 1: Requirements of the packages for dairy products
Package Flexible pouches Small bottle Big bottles and caps
Type of contained
product
Fresh milk
Probiotic yogurt
products
Fresh milk and shakes
Shelf-life 4 – 7 days at < 8 °C 2 – 3 weeks at < 8 °C 2 – 3 weeks at < 8 °C
Thermal treatment
Technology
Pasteurization
72 – 75 °C, 15 – 40 s
Blown film coextrusion
Pasteurization
72 – 75 °C, 15 – 40 s
Extrusion blow
moulding
Sterilization (bottle)
90 – 95 °C, 4 – 20 s
Extrusion blow moulding
and injection moulding
Package structure Multilayer (3 layers) Monolayer Monolayer
Additional
requirements
Withstand horizontal
form sealing machine
Lid sealing
Lid sealing and caps
Barrier properties Not applicable Not applicable Not applicable
Table 2: Thermal and mechanical properties in pouches
(MD=Machine Direction, TD= Transverse Direction)
Standard Formulation Reference LDPE Bio 03-04
EN ISO
527-2:
2012
EN ISO
14477:
2004
Direction MD TD MD TD
Stress at yield (MPa) 1.7 ± 0.1 1.4 ± 0.2 1.8 ± 0.2 1.1 ± 0.1
Elongation at yield (%) 16 ± 1 9 ± 0.9 32 ± 9 12 ± 1
Stress at break (MPa) 2.3 ± 0.2 2.1 ± 0.4 3.8 ± 1 2.6 ± 0.1
Elongation at break (%) 710 ± 120 1200 ± 150 620 ± 89 660 ± 35
Maximum Stress (MPa) 2.79 ± 0.16 4.67 ± 0.14 2.79 ± 0.16 4.67 ± 0.14
Penetration (mm) 1.6 ± 0.1 1.80 ± 0.04 1.6 ± 0.1 1.80 ± 0.04
Energy (mJ) 2.54 ± 0.17 4.72 ± 0.25 2.54 ± 0.17 4.72 ± 0.25
Thickness
(microns)
120 100
EN ISO 306 Vicat Temperature (ºC) 100 – 115 92 – 95
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11 13

Blow Moulding
Standard Test Reference LDPE Bio 02-06
Internal procedure * Compression strength No break No break
EN ISO 306 Max. strength** (kg) 10,00 (0,1) 10,00 (0,1)
Internal procedure Impact resistance of 1.20 m freefall No fracture No fracture
EN ISO 306 Vicat temperature (ºC) 100 – 115 104 – 105
(*) Maximum stress 10N
(**) Standard deviation in brackets.
Table 3: Thermal and mechanical properties in small bottles
Table 4: Thermal and mechanical properties in big bottles
Standard Test Reference LDPE Bio 02-06
Internal procedure * Compression strength No break No break
EN ISO 306 Max. strength** (kg) 10,00 (0,1) 10,00 (0,1)
Internal procedure Impact resistance of 1.20 m freefall No fracture No fracture
EN ISO 306 Vicat temperature (ºC) 100 – 115 113 – 114
(*) Maximum stress 10N
(**) Standard deviation in brackets.
Table 5: Hardness of the materials for Caps
Biodegradation (%)
Property Standard PP Bio 16-07
Hardness Shore D EN ISO 868 69 – 72 69 – 72
Figure 3: Visual presentation of the evolution of the biodegradation of pouch in comparison
with the reference cellulose
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
Cellulose
Biocompound pouch
Biocompound probiotic bottle
Biocompound fresh milk bottle
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85
Time (days)
• Environmental impact by studying
the Life Cycle Assessment,
evaluation of biodegradability and
compostability of each product
developed and their economic
analysis
Results
Functional characterization
Regarding the functional
characterization, the final products;
pouches, small and big bottles and
caps, fulfil all the requirements,
including sterilization and
pasteurization processes. Tables 2 – 5
show these results.
The microbiological analysis (fig. 2)
suggested that the new packages do
not affect the development of bacterial
and fungal populations naturally
contained in pasteurized milk, or
the growth of selected pathogenic
strains, artificially inoculated in milk
and yogurt. It also doesn’t affect
the viability of lactic acid bacteria
contained in yogurt. In addition,
they do not release any significant
substances in milk and yogurt
stored inside affecting the product.
Therefore, the packages fulfill
the microbiological requirements
established by the product packers.
Regarding to the legal requirements
based on the Overall Migration, the
pouches and both bottles were tested
and they do fulfil the requirements,
according to European Commission
Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 [2].
The use of new biodegradable
packaging does not affect the
organoleptic properties of the
evaluated dairy products. Except for
unflavored low-fat yogurt, where
a consumer panel revealed small
differences between the new bio
bottles and the reference bottles.
Biodegradability and
Compostability
The biodegradation under
controlled composting conditions
was successfully demonstrated for
the different developed compounds
(fig. 3) and they fulfil the requirements
of material characteristics,
biodegradation and compost quality
according to EN 13432 (2000).
Pouches and caps can be concluded
to be fully compostable in industrial
processes and the OK compost logo
and seedling logo were obtained
from the certification institute
14 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

Blow Moulding
Vinçotte (Belgium). The bottles did not show sufficient
disintegration due to the necessary thickness that the
bottles must maintain to fulfill the structural functionality.
Economic analysis
The economic study revealed that producing newbiodegradable
packages for dairy products is still not
competitive in price with the existing packages due to
the current price of biodegradable raw materials. Market
studies predict a decrease in their price because of an
increase in the global demand and production. Thus,
biodegradable market trends foresee a positive scenario
for the BIOBOTTLE packages commercialization in 5 years
time.
Important is that the cost of the final product with the
new biodegradable packages increases less than 10 % in
the different packages developed.
Acknowledgement
This project has received funding from the European
Union´s Seventh Programme for Research, Technological
Development and Demonstration (FP7 / 2007 – 2013) under
grant agreement nº [606350].
www.biobottleproject.eu
References
[1] Plastics-The Facts 2015. An analysis of European plastic production,
demand and waste data. PlasticsEurope (PEMRG) / Consultic.
[2] COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) No 10/2011of 14 January 2011on
plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food
(https://www.fsai.ie/uploadedFiles/Reg10_2011.pdf)
Figure 4: Detailed barley and cress plant growth after an incubation
period of 7 and 13 days respectively (from left to right):
50 % series of blank compost and test compost
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bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11 15

Blow Moulding
Blow molding of WPC bottles
About two years ago, Wonjae
(Jason) Lee, International Business
Department Manager of Doill
ECOTEC Co., Ltd. in Hwaseong (close to
Seoul, Korea) washed his hair and saw
his shampoo bottle. He wondered why
shampoo bottles are only available from
pure plastic? The company, Jason works
for is known for WPC compounds and
products (next to some other products).
So Jason just tried to make bottles from
wood plastic compounds, as wood is just
as familiar to people as is plastic.
Doill Ecotec produces about 10,000
tonnes of WPC compounds and
products per year with 50 employees
on a floorspace of 10,000 m². And Jason
explained that the company is proud of
the stable quality of their products. The
range of finished products comprises
extruded or injection moulded WPC
decking board, pergola, fences, siding,
sound-proof wall profiles, window
profiles, WPC cutting board, WPC chairs,
cosmetics containers, flower pots, ball
point pens and other daily products. And
now also bottles…
After about one year of development, the bottles
could be presented at Chinaplas 2016 in Shanghai.
“Many visitors from all over the world were
interested in the bottles, as well as journalists from
plastic magazines,” Jason proudly told bioplastics
MAGAZINE.
Jason described one of the biggest challenges
in the development phase was finding the optimal
wood content: “If the wood content is too high,
there are technical problems such as burnt
spots or small holes in the bottles,” he
said. “On the other hand, if it is too low,
the final bottle is not as eco-friendly as it
could be.” While too much wood content
leads to lower cost it also leads to lower
properties compared to pure plastic. In
the end, after optimizing the wood content,
process parameters such as screw speed
(RPM), extruder – and mould temperatures
etc. Jason was able to produce functional
bottles.
The main advantage of WPC bottles is
their lower need for conventional plastics.
And Doill Ecotec is only using waste
wood flour, i.e. the saw dust from wood
processing.
Today the company offers WPC bottles in
all shapes, e.g. round, square and oval in
sizes of 1 litre. 200ml and 500 ml are also
already tried and tested. Volumes larger
than 1 litre will also be possible, as Jason
is optimistic enough to tell.
The first square shampoo bottles can
already be found on supermarket shelves
in Korea, and people can buy them via the
internet. Currently Doill is discussing potential
blow moulding applications with customers from
the packaging and the cosmetics sector.
Jason Lee: “As Nike’s slogan Just do it I just
did it. And I hope that many readers and plastic
product manufacturers will develop many kinds of
biobased plastic products. We should care for our
earth and also resolve environment problems.” MT
www.doillecotec.com
16 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

Blow Moulding
A new, cost-effective route
to PEF
Since the US Department of Energy named
2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) as one of the
top 12 platform chemicals, it has been considered
a holy grail for bioplastics, alongside its downstream
polymer polyethylenefuranoate (PEF). However,
the road has been bumpy and the main challenge is to
find a process which allows price competitiveness with
petro-based alternatives. Brand owners also need to
get on board – Coca-Cola’s PlantBottle may replace all
its petro-based bottles by 2020 as promised, but more
brands need to make similar commitments.
However, we are one step closer to bringing FDCA
and PEF to market. A hydrothermal processing (HTP)
technology developed by Swiss biotechnology company
AVA-CO2 yields substantial advantages over other
technologies.
Other processes use highly-toxic methanol as
a solvent in dehydrating fructose which must be
eliminated by an extra, costly distillation and purification
step. Methanol-based processes also immediately
transform most of the 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-
HMF) into 5-MMF (Methoxymethylfurfural), which is
inefficient and impacts negatively on yields. AVA-CO2’s
process uses water as a solvent,
meaning a less costly,
more environmentallyfriendly
process,
which leads to
better LCA results
and significantly
higher yields.
AVA-CO2 also
recently announced
a simple
interface
which allows a
tailored use of
different solvents,
e.g. acetic
acid, in existing
FDCA oxidation
processes. This
solvent switch
allows 5-HMF
to be used as a
drop-in for purified
terephthalic
acid (PTA) pro-
Generic bottle picture (not PEF) (Shutterstock, HSNphotography)
duction plants. The HTP technology now supports the
main FDCA oxidation routes – biological, enzymatic,
chemical and electro-chemical oxidation of 5-HMF to
FDCA. This flexibility, in combination with AVA-CO2’s
innovative process, will make a difference in the race
to PEF.
Compared to PET, PEF is a more sustainable option,
with a 50 % less carbon footprint and better recyclability.
It also has many superior product characteristics –
with higher tensile strength and improved gas barriers
in oxygen, CO 2
and moisture, PEF allows for energy
savings and reductions in material use compared to
PET. This leads to a longer shelf life, thereby reducing
food waste.
Recent joint development announcements across the
value chain show that PEF is regarded as an important
strategic development. For AVA-CO2, a large-scale
sugar-based production plant (LSPP) is already in the
pipeline. Set to produce 30,000 tonnes/year of FDCA in
a first phase, the LSPP will ramp up to 120,000 tonnes/
year of FDCA at full capacity. Set to come online in
2019/2020, a first round of financing for the plant has
already been completed by AVA-
CO2.
AVA-CO2 is in talks
with industry leaders
to develop
new downstream
chemistry pathways
and exploit
the potential of
5-HMF, FDCA
and PEF. The
LSPP will accelerate
market
development
of 100 %
sugar-based
beverage and
food packaging.
Through
PEF, sugarbased
chemicals
and polymers
for the
mass market
are just around
the corner. MT
www.ava-co2.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11 17

Application News
Clear packaging from
Bio-PET 30
The company Seufert Transparente Verpackungen
(Rodgau, Germany) can now offer a new material: Bio-
PET. It allows producing resource-saving transparent
packaging at nearly the same costs as traditional clear
packaging. Seufert is working with Bio-PET film, which
is partly manufactured from renewable resources. I.e.
the 30 % by wt MEG (monoethylene glycol) is produced
from sugar cane, while the 70 % by wt. terephthalic acid
(PTA) are still made from petroleum. However, worldwide
research into finding a plant based alternative for the PTA
content is still ongoing. Bio-PET may be transformed
into clear folding boxes, transparent sleeves and die cuts
in the same way as standard PET.
The benefits are clear. Thanks to using more renewable
resources, less raw material derived from petroleum is
needed. This is a subject consumers are attaching more
and more importance to and which allows differentiation.
Using Bio-PET, brand owners may emphasis their
position and attract attention to their products. For
Seufert comparable “plant based materials, such as PLA,
had one big drawback – price,“ as managing director
Thomas Pfaff explains: “our packaging from Bio-PET is
now available at nearly the same price as transparent
packaging from traditional PET”. Until the end of the
year, the German company has a special offer for those,
who would like to try Bio-PET: CO 2
emissions resulting
from manufacturing of packaging from Bio-PET will be
compensated through the carbon neutral scheme from
natureOffice. For a couple of years, Seufert has been
offering their customers carbon neutral printing in
cooperation with natureOffice. This service will be free of
charge for all users of Bio-PET until end of 2016.
Biobased PET is being transformed into transparent
packaging solutions in the same way as the usual PET
films: offset and screen printing, cutting, stamping
and gluing are managed in house at Seufert’s. Another
advantage – especially compared to other materials
respecting the environment – is that Bio-PET can be
recycled together with conventional PET. MT
www.seufert.com
New certified coffeecapsules
Bonga Red Mountain: Wild coffee from Ethiopian rainforest
project is now available in compostable coffee capsules /
aluminum-free and biobased.
The company Original Food from Freiburg, Germany,
has worked on a solution concerning the challenges of
conventional aluminium capsules and is now prepared to
launch the first certified compostable coffee capsule for the
Nespresso-system.
The capsule is not only aluminum-free and biobased but
also contains one of the best coffees in the world: Bonga Red
Mountain wild coffee from the Ethiopian region of Kaffa.
For over 12 years, Original Food has been marketing this
premium wild coffee as active contribution to the preservation
of the decimated rainforest and has been leading the way in
sustainability.
For this reason, it was only logical for the founder,
Florian Hammerstein, to invest in the development of an
environmental-compatible capsule.
“Premium wild coffee, such as Bonga Red Mountain,
which is not only collected in a rainforest project in Ethiopia
but also traded fair and processed environmentally friendly
does not belong into a regular plastic capsule” argues Florian
Hammerstein, founder and CEO of Original Food. “Even so,
it is our aim to share this unique taste with fans of capsule
machines and that is precisely why we have been researching
for an ideal solution: the compostable coffee capsule.”
With the new Bonga Red Mountain coffee capsule Original
Food advocates a capsule that avoids the growing wastage:
the capsule consists of a specially developed PLA based
bioplastic on the basis of renewable resources such as corn
or sugar cane. For the lid a very compacted paper is used.
In order to increase the aroma preservation, two capsules
are packed in one compostable organic wrapping. Both the
biodegradability of the entire capsule and the bioplastic
wrapping are certified according to European standard DIN
EN 13432. As evidence, the capsule is furthermore authorized
to display the OK-compost sign as well as the Seedling by
European Bioplastics. MT
www.originalfood.de
18 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

Application News
New PLA tamper-evident seal
yields cost savings for customers
New Hampshire (USA) - based eatSafe, LLC, a global leader in tamper-evident seals for the packaging industry, has developed
and launched ecoSafe, a shrink film designed to save money on packaging costs while being environmentally friendly.
ecoSafe is a biodegradable PLA shrink film manufactured from sustainable, 100 % annually renewable plant sugars to create
a proprietary polylactide polymer. It caters to a growing number of companies who wish to package their products in more
environmentally responsible manner.
ecoSafe material is far superior environmentally to oil-based PET, polyethylene, PVC and polypropylene films, which use
20 – 250 % more non-renewable energy during production and produce 4 – 6 times more greenhouse gases during their life cycle.
ecoSafe can be composted in industrial facilities, or incinerated with no volatile compounds (VOCs) and low residue created
during burning.
“Our customers tell us they are searching for more eco-friendly and greener-living packaging choices,” said Wayne
Summerford, president of eatSafe. “ecoSafe fills that need, and works in traditionally more difficult applications like nested
materials, shrink bundling, and multi-packing. We have had success not only with food manufacturers and contract packagers
who are concerned about food safety, but also in the general packaging marketplace.”
ecoSafe heat shrink film is roll stock and can be ordered in any width from 1 to 10 inches. It is designed to be utilized with
the eatSafe Ringer, an automatic tamper-evident shrink banding machine. ecoSafe film is formed into a tamper-evident seal
with an easy-open feature; no scissors are required and there are no sharp edges left after opening. A tamper-evident seal is
required by the Food & Drug Administration on certain classes of products but is also widely used in the packaging industry
due to its superior level of safety as compared to a simple tamper-resistant seal.
ecoSafe’s customers report cost savings after making the switch from preform shrink bands to ecoSafe PLA roll stock
applied with the eatSafe Ringer machine, says the company. Together, ecoSafe shrink film and the eatSafe Ringer machine
replace the labor-intensive and costly existing technologies
such as preform shrink bands, sleeves and safety stickers and
labels. The savings are said to be primarily in labor, freight and
inventory, but there is also a reduction in administrative and
warehouse costs.
“ecoSafe is much more environmentally-conscious than PET,
PVC, polyethylene and polypropylene films,“ said Summerford.
“In addition, ecoSafe’s biobased PLA material consumes far
less non-renewable energy during production than any other
type of shrink film currently on the market.” KL/MT
www.eatsafepackaging.com
PA 410 for automotive cooling systems
Royal DSM, a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials, is extending its portfolio of high
performance materials that answer the need in demanding automotive applications for hydrolysis resistance across a wide
range of temperatures. The portfolio is targeted at numerous water-cooling related applications under the hood and includes
a hydrolysis-resistant grade of its high performance bio-based polyamide, EcoPaXX.
DSM’s extensive portfolio of materials based on bio-polyamides 410 (EcoPaXX ® ) are all inherently resistant to hydrolysis. One
particular grade, EcoPaXX Q-HG6/7, is very well suited for applications such as expansion tanks that need to resist coolants at
high temperatures. The lower density allows part weight to be cut by as much as 30 % compared with polyamide 66. A recentlydeveloped
thin-walled “T” connector for a coolant hose in this grade has just been approved for use by a major German car
manufacturer, and is scheduled to go into commercial production in the next few months.
The connector needs to withstand high internal pressures at temperatures of
up to 135 °C—something that is not possible with PA66. “EcoPaXX offers strength
and reliability even in critical areas like the weld lines (areas where different flow
fronts merge) in complex designs,” says Thomas Selberdinger, Sales Manager
Automotive, at DSM. MT
www.dsm.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11 19

Application News
FORMcard
www.formcard.co
Formcard is a project that was successfully funded on Kickstarter on the 6 th December with over 2,000 backers and 816 %
funding.
The product is a handy, pocket sized card of strong, meltable biopolastic that can be used to make, fix and modify virtually
anything in everyday life. It just needs to be droped it in a cup of hot water and it’s ready to use. “Everyone should keep one in
their wallet, toolbox or kitchen drawer so that it’s always around when you need to fix something,” says Peter Marigold, founder
of Formcard.
FORMcards are instant. When they are cool, they are ready to use to fix things quickly in emergency situations, like when a
handle breaks on a tool, or a button falls off the jacket. The material is strong like nylon, as the inventor states, so it can be
used for long lasting solutions. When very hot the material sticks well to other plastics, which is good for repairing things, such
as broken plastic toys, tools or anything you may think of.
FORMcards are reusable, so if you something does not fulfil the expectations or is no longer needed it can just be molten
back down again. Great for making toys when the kids grow up.
The handy cards can be used anywhere where hot water is available. In a cafe to fix a broken umbrella, or around a campfire
to fix a broken tent pole. The material can be used to make tool covers... fix plastic shovels... it’s even strong enough to make
a basic wrench in an emergency!
FORMcards are made from a starch based bio-plastic that is totally non-toxic. Peter has worked closely with both the chemical
company, the moulders and even the colorant suppliers to ensure this is the case, even to go as far as rejecting the easy use
of universal pigments which contain styrenes in favour of powder
pigments. “This is messier for us, but better for you and everyone
else,“ as Peter points out. And he is proud that his FORMcards are
produced entirely in the U.K. MT
Biobased Ring Binders
At the United Soybean Board’s Biobased Stakeholders’ Dialogue held at the USDA headquarters Samsill Corporation
presented its new Earth’s Choice Biobased ring binders.
The company from Fort Worth, Texas, USA, joined Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and an array of biobased stakeholders
earlier this month in Washington, D.C. at the United Soybean Board’s Biobased Stakeholders’ Dialogue held at the USDA
headquarters.
Samsill displayed its new Earth’s Choice Biobased ring binders. The company combined 100 % post-consumer recycled
chipboard - with plastic containing 25 % of Green Polyethylene, a bioplastic made from sugarcane ethanol, a 100 % renewable
source which promotes the reduction of greenhouse gasses. The finished product is at least 69 % bio-based (tested using
ASTM D-6866) and is a USDA Certified Bio-based Product.
“At Samsill, we are committed to educating consumers and delivering new and unique biobased
products to a wide range of consumer markets. We are excited to participate in the Biobased
Stakeholder’s Dialogue and thank the United Soybean Board for hosting such an important
event.” explained Drew Bowers, VP of Marketing at Samsill.
Earlier versions of the Earth’s Choice binder were marketed as “biodegradable with
a polypropylene cover formulated to biodegrade in microbial landfill”. However, Drew
recognized the downsides of using additive induced “landfill-degradable” plastics,
which is a good approach. “We have always felt and still do that biobased i. e. the the
origin of the raw material is more important to help us making a better sustainable
product. Companies like Coca-Cola have done a great job marketing this feature and
helping to educate consumers,” Drew said to bioplastics MAGAZINE MT
www.samsill.com
20 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

Application News
bio-PA for drinking water-contact applications
Royal DSM (Heerlen, The Netherlands), is taking its EcoPaXX ® polyamide into an important new market – drinking water
contact applications. Use of this material offers a high-performance, lead-free option for applications such as faucet mixing
valves.
The water management market is looking for high-performance polymers that are able to withstand the stringent requirements
of hot-water contact, while still meeting all major drinking water approval schemes.
Legislation also has been driving replacement of metals in applications that
involve direct contact with drinking water. Brass and other metals traditionally have
been used for such applications as faucets, water-meter and boiler components.
Lead contamination in drinking water is a major concern worldwide, leading to more
stringent regulation on lead limits in drinking water. This has driven the industry to
look for alternatives, and engineering plastics such as EcoPaXX offer a completely
lead-free solution, and fully comply with those regulations.
Leading industry players already are successfully using EcoPaXX Q-DWX10, a 50 % glass-fiber-reinforced polyamide 410,
for faucet mixing valves because of its outstanding performance. This material enables the design of faucet mixing valves with
lower risk of part failure and water leakage, a key focus for the industry.
Faucet mixing valves need to provide long-term durability and perform reliably when in contact with both warm (60 °C)
and hot water (90 °C). EcoPaXX offers superior toughness, better hydrolysis resistance and dimensional stability than other
polyamide-based materials. It not only is lead-free, but also yields improved torque and bending strength, even after extended
exposure to boiling water. EcoPaXX absorbs 30 % less water and offers superior chemical resistance, which is especially
important when in contact with chlorinated water. It has passed more than 1 million lifetime cycles testing in varying water
temperatures, and fully complies with all major drinking water certifications, such as NSF61 and KTW.
Externally validated by international lifecycle assessment experts, EcoPaXX base polymer is carbon-neutral from cradle
to gate. Compared to polyphthalamide (PPA) resins with similar function, EcoPaXX compounds offer a 30 % lower carbon
footprint. Additionally, the material shows excellent flow and processability, resulting in high weld-line strength, and can be
processed like any other standard polyamide material.
Having recognized this trend, DSM is further extending its portfolio of specialty materials suitable for addressing the full
spectrum of drinking water contact uses. The company already offers EcoPaXX and ForTii – inherently hydrolysis-resistant
grades that are based on polyamides 410 and 4T, respectively. It also recently added Xytron PPS compounds, which are ideal
when very high dimensional stability is needed.
“With the successful commercialization of EcoPaXX polyamide 410 in faucet mixing valves, DSM has proven its ability to
offer solutions for highly critical drinking water contact applications,” says Caroline Mitterlehner, business responsible for
the water management segment at DSM. “DSM is already active in many high-heat and water-contact applications in other
industries, such as cooling-systems in automotive. We are now successfully translating this competence of resistance to
hydrolytic environments into the drinking water contact market, where temperatures are lower, but required lifetimes are
typically much longer.”
www.dsm.com
Weatherproof jacket made from sugar
The outdoor brand Bergans (Hokksund, Norway) recently marked a milestone in the outdoor clothing industry with the
development of the first plant-based, technical weatherproof jacket – the Eidfjord.
The Eidfjord is a lightweight, technical, 3-layer waterproof breathable jacket using a new fabric called Ecodear. Ecodear was
a co-development project between Bergans and the Japanese company Toray. It’s a 30 % plant-based environmentally friendly
polyester, designed to reduce the amount of petroleum-based materials used in apparel, and thus their overall carbon footprint.
The Ecodear is used on the outer layer of the jacket. The Ecodear fabric retains its highly technical performance due
to the chemical structure of the Ecodear polyester being identical to conventionally produced polyester.
Another component is Toray’s well-known waterproof, windproof and highly breathable membrane Dermizax ® .
Bergans developed Ecodear in partnership with Toray. It is made partly from molasses, a waste product of
sugar production, and helps to reduce the amount of petroleum-based materials used in jacket production
and their overall carbon footprint. As for the Eidfjord’s outdoor features, it was designed specifically for
hiking and all-weather outdoor use, with an extended back, fixed hood customized for helmets, laser cut
and welded seams, front pockets designed to not interfere with a pack’s hip belt, articulated elbows, long
underarm zips for ventilation, and tailored cuffs with Velcro closure. MT
www.bergans.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11 21

Toys
Toymakers are the vanguard
of material innovation
Th e r e
may be
no other
product
market
with more
consumer
choices than toys,
hundreds of model
trains, trucks and
cars, are bidding for
consumer attention. So,
perhaps it’s not surprising that
toymakers are continually striving
to differentiate their toys from similar products on the
shelf. One strategy for distinguishing toys from those of
competitors is through material selection. This has led
toymakers to become early adopters of alternatives to
petroleum-based plastics.
Plastics are seemingly the ideal raw material for toys.
They’re relatively inexpensive, easy to clean, durable
and can be molded into just about anything a child’s
imagination is capable of cooking up. While wood, textiles
and metals can no doubt still be found in an average toy
box, these materials have largely been supplanted by the
now-ubiquitous plastic toy. Teethers, rattlers, stack toys,
play food and other early childhood toys especially are all
reliably made from plastics these days.
But the mass production made feasible by the qualities
above has created its own set of problems. As will surprise
no one familiar with mass consumption and its green
backlash, the products we make – plastics in this case
– are prone to unintended consequences. Environmental
degradation, exposure to harmful chemicals and the
problem of waste plague all industries. But given
the ubiquity of plastic toys in stores, classrooms and
nurseries, the toy manufacturing industry faces the twin
prospects of having a uniquely massive carbon footprint
and the severest consequences for a vulnerable userbase
if it neglects to make a change to more sustainable
plastics.
These concerns have prompted toymakers to seek
new options for using more sustainable plastics over
petroleum-based incumbents. The following are some
of the most promising spins on an old material, both
from a sustainability and performance perspective, that
toymakers are exploring with some success:
• Bio-based plastics like PLA, PHA and starch
polymers made with renewable feedstocks instead
of petroleum-based feedstock used in traditional
plastics for toys that do not deplete our finite natural
resources.
• Biocomposite plastics combine natural fibers or
wood flour with recycled, biodegradable or biobased
plastics to create durable weather-resistant toys.
• Biodegradable plastics like PLA, PHA or compostable
soft plastic elastomer can be used to make toys that
can be returned to nature when their useful life has
ended.
Why toymakers are on the lookout for more
sustainable plastics
A sort of symbolism plays into the exploration of
alternative, sustainable plastic materials [1] for toys.
When toymakers break from petroleum-based feedstock
for the toys, and instead explore more environmentallyfriendly
raw materials, they signify an interest in
what sort of planet their users will grow up to inherit.
Sustainable plastics, made with bio-based, biocomposite
or biodegradable raw materials reflect a desire to
preserve our planet’s natural resources and ensure their
toys leave a legacy of innovation and care rather than
waste and degradation. And, it turns out, what initially
makes sense about toymakers
exploring sustainable plastics
makes even more when
you think about what
they’re subbing out
in exchange.
Many of the
chemicals
used to give
22 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

Toys
By:
Kevin Ireland
Communications Manager
Green Dot
Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, USA
plastic their flexibility – plasticizers as they are known
– have been shown to be endocrine disruptors [2] and
linked to the development of tumors, birth defects and
developmental disorders. Both the United States [3]
and the European Union have had a ban on the use of
certain types of phthalates for years. Especially for young
children, there is a fear that chewing on or heating the
toys can exacerbate the harmful effects of exposure
to chemicals like phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA) and
heavy metals. Removing these chemicals, as well as
others like PVC, should be a major thrust for toymakers
looking to avoid exposing children to potentially harmful
substances during the important period of early childhood
development.
Once toymakers begin exploring options for less toxic
materials, they often also find an unexpected marriage
between sustainability and performance. Starch-based
plastics are ideal for scenting, allowing toymakers to
create imaginative products, like Colorado toymaker,
BeginAgain’s Scented Scoops ice cream play set. The toy
is made with Green Dot’s Terratek ® Flex, compostable
elastomeric bioplastic. This starch-based material
allowed the toymaker to use fragrances to create scoops
that smell good enough to eat (cf bM 05/12, 05/14, 02/15.
Biocomposite materials, which utilize natural fibers
such as wood pulp, flax, starch and hemp, can bring
performance characteristics such as durability, natural
feel and even buoyancy to the fore. Connecticut toymaker,
Luke’s Toy Factory, chose to use Green Dot’s Terratek ®
WC, a wood-plastic composite made from reclaimed
wood fibers and recycled plastic. The material provided
the aesthetics of wood with the processing capabilities of
plastic. The wood-plastic composite material was more
weather resistant than wood or plastic alone and the
parts could be colored when molded, avoiding the risk of
splinters and peeling paint (cf. bM 05/14)
There are many examples of toymakers using bioplastics
and biocomposites as seen in this publication. These
innovative materials give toymakers a degree of flexibility
and chance for creativity that’s lacking with traditional
plastic formulations. These alternatives to traditional
oil-based plastics help to make their toys stand out in a
crowded market place by distinguishing their products as
safer, more durable and more sustainable.
www.GreenDotPure.com.
[1] http://www.greendotpure.com/why-sustainable-plastics/
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endocrine_disruptor
[3] https://www.cpsc.gov/en/Business--Manufacturing/Business-
Education/Business-Guidance/Phthalates-Information/
[4] http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-99-829_en.htm?locale=en
RETHINKING
PLASTICS
29/30 November 2016
Steigenberger Hotel Berlin
REGISTER
NOW!
For more information email:
conference@european-bioplastics.org
@EUBioplastics #eubpconf2016
www.conference.european-bioplastics.org
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11 23

Toys
Bio-alternatives for soft PVC
Bio-alternatives for plasticized vinyl chloride polymers
Table 1: Composition of PVC Bio-alternatives developed by SKZ
Component
Content (wt.%)
Biopolymers (matrix) 57,0
Other polymers (elastic component) 5,0
Bio based plasticizer (softening agent) 19,5
Fillers (inorganic ingredients) 16,0
Additives (coupling agents, lubricants, etc.) 2,5
Figure 1: Build-up of the compounding line used:
1 - Compounder; 2 - Solid dosage; 3 - Liquid dosage;
4 - Atmospheric degassing; 5 - Water bath; 6 - Conveyer belt;
7 - Pelletizer
Figure 2: Hardness and Young’s modulus of biobased materials
developed by SKZ compared to standard PVC-p, used for
the toys production.
Hardness (Shore D)
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
Bio
alternative 1
Bio
alternative 2
PVC-p
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
Young‘s modulus (MPa)
Introduction
Vinyl chloride polymer (PVC) has grown to be one of the
major plastics of the world and is the third most important
polymer with regard to its production volume. For soft
PVC (PVC-p) plasticizers from renewable resources have
been developed and are increasingly used. Nevertheless,
the petrochemical based PVC matrix mostly remains the
same.
In cooperation of SKZ (Würzburg), Tecnaro (Islfeld),
Schleich (Schwäbisch Gmünd) and Konrad Hornschuch
(Weißbach, all Germany), sustainable alternative materials
for PVC-p on the basis of renewable raw materials
have been developed. To achieve this goal various bio
based polymers were modified in a way that flexible
materials with comparable characteristics to PVC-p were
obtained. The materials are to be used predominantly for
manufacturing of toys and table coverings.
Formulations and Process
In the course of the project, different bio based
compounds were developed, which can be used as
alternative materials for PVC-p. These materials consist
of commercially available (PHB-based) biopolymers,
biobased plasticizers, inorganic fillers as well as different
additives (see Table 1).
The compounds were prepared by melt mixing on a
corotating twin-screw extruder Leistritz ZSE27Maxx (L =
1,188 mm and D = 27 mm). To be able to incorporate a large
amount of plasticizer in the polymer matrix, a suitable
screw configuration was designed. All components were
dosed gravimetrically. The extruded strands were passed
through a water bath and transported to pelletizer using a
conveyer belt (see figure 1).
After compounding, the pellets were air dried at 80 °C
for 4 h in a Motan-Colortronic drying chamber, type Luxor
50 and injection moulded into plates 150 x 100 x 2 mm 3
using a Battenfeld TM 1300 machine.
Material Properties
The test samples were cut from injection moulded
plates. Weight loss after storage for 7 days at 70 °C as
well as Shore D hardness and tensile properties according
to DIN EN ISO 527 (Young’s modulus, tensile strength and
elongation at break) were determined. The comparison
of the bio based materials developed by SKZ with the
standard PVC-p used for toys production is presented in
figure 2 and 3.
The biobased materials for toys manufacturing
developed by SKZ show a lower hardness, a slightly
higher Young’s modulus as well as considerably higher
elongation at break compared to conventional PVC-p.
24 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

Toys
By:
Nikola Kocić, Martin Bastian, Bernhard Ulmer,
Marieluise Lang, Peter Heidemeyer
German Plastics Center SKZ
Dirk Schawaller, Michael Schweizer, Helmut Nägele
Tecnaro GmbH
A slightly lower tensile strength of the biobased materials
can be compensated through adaptation of the part
design. The amount of renewable raw materials (without
filler) in the developed compounds is approx. 64 wt.%. The
materials exhibit good processability regarding injection
moulding with the processing temperature being 50 °C
lower than that of PVC-p. This considerably reduces the
energy consumption and the related production costs.
Additionally, toys made of biobased materials showed
good results regarding coloring. The first demonstrator
toy, the horse “Falabella”, was produced by Schleich
GmbH and directly coloured under serial conditions. The
result is presented in figure 4.
Based on the results obtained by SKZ, the upscaling trials
were performed by Tecnaro GmbH. In scope of these trials,
further biobased materials (special grades of Arboblend)
with special consideration of the economic aspects were
developed. The mechanical and thermal properties of the
biobased materials obtained by Tecnaro are equal to that
of the commercial PVC-p materials. Furthermore, the new
biobased materials show better thermal resistance than
PVC-p. The paintability as well as the paint adherence of
the injection moulded toys made of Tecnaro’s biobased
materials were examined and confirmed. As example, the
demonstrator toy „Tigerjunges“ produced and painted by
Schleich GmbH are shown in figure 5.
The project is conducted in the framework of the
program “Biobased Polymers and Biobased Natural Fibre
Reinforced Plastics” of the German Federal Ministry of
Food and Agriculture and financially supported via the
Agency of Renewable Resources (FNR)..
www.skz.de
Bernd Kugler
Schleich GmbH
Frank Waiblinger
Konrad Hornschuch AG
Figure 3: Elongation at break and tensile strength of biobased
materials developed by SKZ compared to standard PVC-p,
used for the toys production.
Elongation at break (%)
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Bio
alternative 1
Bio
alternative 2
PVC-p
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Tensile strength (MPa)
Figure 4: Horse „Falabella“ made by Schleich GmbH using
the biobased materials developed at SKZ
Figure 5: „Tigerjunges“ made by Schleich GmbH using the
bio based materials developed by Tecnaro GmbH
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11 25

Toys
PHA resins
for toys
Within just a few years it will be possible to give
all children eco-sustainable, biodegradable safe
toys free from toxic substances. In the future this
will be normal but in order to make this future arrive as
soon as possible researchers are developing new solutions
based on biopolymers that are capable of replicating
and improving the thermo-mechanical, functional and
aesthetic properties of the plastics in use today.
“With our new Supertoys bioplastic, we think we
can make a decisive contribution to the toys industry,”
Marco Astorri, Chairman of Bio-on told bioplastics
MAGAZINE. Bio‐on is an Italian company specialised in the
development of biopolymers “100 % biodegradable in
nature and made from renewable waste sources, without
any competition with food supply chains”, as Marco said.
This new special grade called Minerv PHA Supertoys has
been used for the first time in the manufacture of building
bricks. “Consumers around the world are now aware that
today’s plastic is not suitable for children,” explained
Marco Astorri, “You only have to read the thousands of
online forums to realise this enormous shift in opinion.
We know that these phenomena are unstoppable and it
is precisely for this reason that we launched the Minerv
PHA Supertoys project, which to date has no commercial
goal and aims solely to demonstrate whether or not
specific, eco-sustainable and completely biodegradable
formulations can be created for making toys that are safe
for children and the environment, without losing out on
the end product’s functionality and aesthetic. This is very
important for us: we want to introduce a new development
methodology that places commercial and financial aspects
on a secondary level, to be considered at a later stage, and
focuses instead on the social aspect of the innovation.”
Based on the Minerv PHA biopolymer developed by
Bio-on and already tested in dozens of applications, from
automotive to design to biomedical, Supertoys is safe,
hygienic and biodegradable, it meets and exceeds the
provisions of the recent European Directive 2009/48/EC,
known as the TSD (Toy Safety Directive), implemented
into the standard international procedure for toy safety
evaluation EN 71. The research project is open to all
laboratories and companies around the world working on
toy design and aims to create two types of bioplastic by
the end of 2017: Minerv PHA Supertoys type “R”, rigid and
strong, and Minerv PHA Supertoys type “F”, ductile and
flexible.
To demonstrate the characteristics of this innovative
material, LEGO ® -style stacking bricks in different colours
have been produced. “We chose this product,” explained
Mario Astorri, who founded Bio-on in 2007, “because it
is very hard to make. It has a tolerance of 2 thousandths
of a millimetre and the fact that we have succeeded in
guaranteeing such a high quality level gives us confidence
26 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

Toys
Buss Laboratory Kneader MX 30-22
for future developments.” Bio-on is currently in
contact with almost all the major players in the plastic
toys sector, but the first partner with whom it began
a collaboration is Italeri (Calderara di Reno, Italy), a
long-standing leader in the static scale modelling
field that designs, produces and sells in over 50
countries around the world and has a catalogue of
hundreds of pieces, from the humble soldier to the
aircraft carrier, with highly complex moulds.
“We have always been very attentive in our choice
of plastics,” said Gian Pietro Parmeggiani, who in
1962 founded Italeri near Bologna with Giuliano
Malservisi, “and being able to create new models
today with an eco-sustainable and completely natural
material projects us towards the future. We feel
involved in a journey, more than a simple business
deal, that will bear fruit in the coming years.” One of
the company’s reasons for collaborating with Bio-on
on the development of this material was the strategic
decision to win back the young and particularly the
under 14s: an interesting challenge for a sector that
seemed to have been abandoned by the young.
However, Italeri has succeeded in bringing 3,500
students from some twenty schools (between 11 and
18 years of age) from the Emilia Romagna region
into a collaboration project with the Italian Ministry
of Education to teach modelling technique. “In
many schools around the world, there is a return to
the manual activities lost through excessive use of
computers and smartphones,” explains Parmeggiani,
“with this project and through modelling, we want
to show the usefulness of manual activities in
education. To be able to do that in the future with
Supertoys natural products will place us at the
cutting-edge in the coming years and in general
will give undisputed added value to our production,
including that targeting adults.”
Italeri’s technicians and Bio-on’s researchers are
running dozens of tests thanks to the availability of
the many different-sized moulds used for the 600
models, including military vehicles, helicopters,
ships, trucks, cars and motorcycles, for an overall
production of approximately 1,500 items. For now,
Supertoys development is at the experimental stage
and no criticality has been encountered.
All of this began at the laboratories of Bio-on,
which designed and patented the world’s first fully
bio-based PHAs plastic (certified since 2014 by the
United States Department of Agriculture – USDA)
and 100 % naturally biodegradable in water and
soil (certified since 2008 by Vinçotte) without the use
of chemical solvents. This exceptional product is
obtained through the natural fermentation of bacteria
fed by by-products from the agricultural industry
with no competition with food supply chains. Bio-on
biopolymers have exceptional properties that adapt
to the injection and extrusion methods currently in
use in the plastic industry and can cover a vast range
of strategic applications: biomedical, packaging,
design, clothing, automotive… and now toys too. MT
www.bio-on.it
Buss Kneader Technology
Leading Compounding Technology
for heat and shear sensitive plastics
For more than 60 years Buss Kneader technology
has been the benchmark for continuous preparation
of heat and shear sensitive compounds –
a respectable track record that predestines this
technology for processing biopolymers such
as PLA and PHA.
> Uniform and controlled shear mixing
> Extremely low temperature profile
> Precise temperature control
> High filler loadings
Buss AG
Switzerland
www.busscorp.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11 27

Toys
Toys for a better future
From its early beginnings at the end of 2009, Bioserie
was created with a vision: to bring customers high
quality, well designed durable consumer goods allowing
them to enjoy the benefits of advanced green materials
technology. Cutting-edge, beautiful products with a clean
conscience.
After years of research, during which the brand has
fine tuned a unique mix of fully biobased materials based
on PLA providing exceptionally good results in terms of
heat resistance and durability, and successful releases of
phone accessories products, the brand has embarked on
a journey to bring young parents the future of toys since
2014. What best category to make a point than the start
of it all!
Becoming a mom and dad is often a turning point in
priorities. Consumption criteria, amongst others, are
affected. As parents strive to build the best for their babies,
they naturally question what products are made of. The
majority of them, close or above 80 % depending on the
geography where they live, are ready to go for organic,
green or ethical labels whenever they can afford it, e. g.
in the food and/or hygiene department. When it comes to
durable goods, there is indeed a growing awareness about
the dangers of certain plastic, and a similar readiness to go
for more sustainable products.
Baby toys shelves are crowded with
plastics. They look nice, with lots
of fancy colors and shapes, yet
one cannot but have read at least
one article about the dangers
of certain types of plastics.
The usual suspects and
most regulated are
BPA, Phthalathes and
Styrenes, known for their
endocrine disruption or
antiandrogenic effects.
The problem is, it’s
rather impossible to get
the full scope of oil-based
ingredients tested, and
even if we could do so, the
impact of exposure to this
type of chemicals may not
be immediate. That is, babies
exposed to certain traditional
plastics may not show any symptom
for years, but the consequences of
exposure to these petroleum-based chemicals
may show up when they become teenagers or adults.
And that’s how Kaya Kaplancali, co-founder and COO of
Hong Kong based Bioserie explains the development of
their toy range: “Oil based plastics can contain potentially
hazardous chemicals for human health, as suggested by
numerous respectable studies published within the last
two decades. Our Bioplastic products contain none of
those hazardous petrochemicals. We hope to accelerate
the recognition and adoption of bioplastic products by
addressing the needs of consumers who are sensitive
about the safety and toxicity of the products they buy for
their children. In other words, inherent safety of bioplastics
help us shine so it’s easier to tell our story to consumers
who are not familiar with this new and innovative industry.”
Stephanie Triau, co-founder and CEO of Bioserie added:
“As a parent, it’s very hard to know for sure that a product
won’t have any negative health effects on your baby. The
information on toy packages is either inadequate, too
technical for a normal person to understand or at times
misleading. This problem is eliminated with Bioserie’s
use of plant-based materials that are naturally free of any
harmful substances associated with oil-based plastics.”
Bioserie provides young parents with one of the safest
alternatives for their little ones. Their products are
actually the first ever baby toys to obtain a 100 % biobased
certification from the USDA, which means they have been
tested to contain no fossil carbon (ASTM 6866). That’s a
guarantee for them that their babies won’t lick, bite or
chew anything derived from petroleum.
What’s more, Bioserie’s baby toys are smartly made.
Bioserie’s founders are young parents and have had their
28 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

Toys
own experience of what makes the success of a toy in the
house. Basically, a toy that works is one that both the baby
and the parents will pick from the shelf happily, and that
won’t just sit there.
They found out three elements were key: color, versatility
(the toy should be used in many ways and facilitate concept
explorations) and convenience (the toy should ideally be
easy to carry along, and should be washable in case
it gets dirty).
Bioserie’s product range is catered to 0 to 2 years
old. It aims at bringing down-to-earth play essentials
to support young babies in their early discoveries
and be their companions into toddlerhood. Designed
with the support of infant development specialists,
they are also super-easy to clean, even in a
dishwasher at specified temperatures when
necessary (a great feature for the home, and
that also means the toys are easy to share with
others – in pre-school/nurseries environments
or within the family and friends circle).
Currently, five products are available.
• Star teether – a simple star-shaped teether
that’s easy to grasp, with dimples to soothe sore
gums, available in green and orange;
• Dumbbell Rattle – already a best seller, this dumbbell
shaped rattle is extremely well balanced and allows
babies to experiment with sounds and develop their
understanding of cause and effect as some rattling
balls play hide and seek in the handle;
• Round Rattle – easy to pass from hand to hand, it’s
another way to play with sounds and it’s easy to hang to
anything around;
• Shape sorting and stacking cube – a new variation
on the shape sorting concept that also allows to
understand the concept of size as the pieces can go in
or onto the cube that serves as a base.
• 2-in-1 Stacker – a toy with eight pieces and many ways
of mounting, no right or wrong, a base that can wobble
and stay stable, wins the attention of small and bigger
kids around;
These products have recently won a prestigious
consumer award in the Netherlands, the newly created
Green Awards of the Baby Innovation awards.
Last but not least, these baby toys are kind to the
environment. Because they’re made from annually
renewable materials, they do not deplete the planet from
anything that can’t grow again. While oil-based plastic toys
rely on increasingly scarce resources and in the process
of being manufactured may cause between 2 – 7 times
their own weight in greenhouse gases to be emitted into
our atmosphere, Bioserie toys are made from plants and
they contribute considerably less greenhouse gases during
their whole production chain.
The brand’s founders feel upbeat about their line’s
potential as they’ve signed distribution agreements in many
countries accross the world (France, UK, the Netherlands,
Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, Hungary, Czech Republic,
Slovakia, Spain, Portugal, Korea, Hong Kong, Australia,
USA, Canada, Caribbean).
Being asked where they’d like to see the brand in five
years, Kaya said: “We would like Bioserie to have a firm
foothold on baby products market, worldwide. We would
like to become a well-recognised durable consumer
products brand and our sights are set on diversifying into
other durable consumer product categories in the future.
It is particularly exciting to make a point that it is possible
to develop and run a business that truly respects our
planet and the health of its inhabitants.”
Sounds like toys are only the beginning! MT
www.bioserie.com
Drive Innovation
Become a Member
Join university researchers and industry members
to push the boundaries of renewable resources
and establish new processes and products.
www.cb2.iastate.edu
See us at K 2016
October 19-26, 2016
Düsseldorf, Germany
Hall 5, Booth C07-1
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11 29

Toys
Toys are not child’s play
And there is no better way to experience this first hand than with visiting
a toy fair and being overwhelmed by the abundance of ideas, innovations
and markets presented there.
At these fairs you often find a green corner, packed with
wooden toys. Unfortunately the love for educational toys and
natural materials, that eco-conscious parents often have, is not
always shared with the offspring, who rather prefers the shiny
plastic stuff. Biobased plastics could help to bridge the gap
here, but the reasons for their application in the field of
toys are as diverse as are the resulting products.
Wooden toys have a very long history and wood
still is the go to for toy designers when putting
emphasis on sustainability. It is very durable and
can handle rough jobs but of course there are
limitations, for example when it comes to flexibility or
water contact. Biobased plastics can soften the boundaries
and open the way for these applications too, while maintaining the renewable
platform.
A charming example for an innovative and young toy company is Tic Toys
(Leipzig, Germany), from the beginning concentrating on the use of wood and
paper. They started out reinventing classic games and toys, always with a
new touch to it. For a new sporty field game, inspired by a hoop game from
the 17 th century, they were searching for the right material for the ring. It
should be tough enough to get back to its ring shape even after a sharp hit
onto a concrete floor and of course: be biobased. Together with TECNARO
(Ilsfeld, Germany) an ARBOBLEND ® grade was chosen and since 2013
their Tualoop ® is on the market, with a growing fan base. It can be played in
variations like field game, golf or throwing targets and is recommended for
children from the age of 6 but soon became a fun sport for adults, too.
A different field in the realm of toys is pioneered by the young company
Boxine (Düsseldorf, Germany), digital innovators revolutionizing the concept of
radio play. Steered by microchips and enabled through WiFi and the cloud, little
figurines – the Tonies ® – trigger a little radio cube – the toniebox ® – to reveal
audio content, which can be custom made or readily purchased together
with the figurines. This concept opens doors to many new possibilities
that are still being explored. But this is not only a digital revolution – to put
the cherry on the cake Boxine starts to make figurines from Arboblend
bioplastics.
Children can really put their environment to the test. For products
especially designed for children, like toys, material engineers and quality
managers have to anticipate, model and standardize these tests. Apart
from the European children’s toys directive EN 71 there is a multitude of
quality standards to be met, specific to the kind of toy.
Toy bricks also started out as wooden toys, later being replaced by
injection moulded alternatives (already with a short period where
bioplastics were used) steadily improving quality and becoming the
interlocking bricks now so common. The newly launched LUCKYS ®
Natural Bricks (by EckPack from Darmstadt, Germany) are made
from a novel biobased Arboblend grade specially designed as an
equal alternative to ABS. Once again it is young, innovative and agile
companies leading the way (back) to the future. MT
www.tecnaro.de | www.tictoys.de
www.tonies.de | www.luckys4kids.com
30 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

Toys
LEGO looks for
sustainable alternatives
In 1958, in Billund Denmark, Godtfred Kirk Kristiansen
invented a simple system for clicking together small bricks,
enabling decades of imaginative play for young and old in
more than 140 countries. LEGO ® bricks make a positive
impact through creative play, but, the Lego Group wants to do
more; They also want to leave a positive impact on the planet
our children will inherit. [1]
That is why Lego is seeking for solutions to use sustainable
materials for all core products and packaging by 2030. The
Danish company is investing about EUR 135 million to make
this ambitious challenge a reality.
About a year ago Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, CEO and President
of the Lego Group, said “We have already taken important steps
to reduce our carbon footprint and leave a positive impact on
the planet by reducing the packaging size, by introducing FSC
certified packaging and through our investment in an offshore
wind farm. Now we are accelerating our focus on materials.” [2]
The investment includes the establishment of a Lego
Sustainable Materials Centre at the Group’s headquarters in
Billund, Denmark. In order to achieve the challenging goal “to
find alternative materials”, the Lego Group announced to hire
more than 100 specialists within the materials field during the
coming years.
Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen (Lego-group owner) said “Our
mission is to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow.
We believe that our main contribution to this is through
the creative play experiences we provide to children. The
investment announced is a testament to our continued
ambition to leave a positive impact on the planet, which future
generations will inherit. It is certainly in line with the mission
of the Lego Group and in line with the motto of my grandfather
and founder of the Lego Group, Ole Kirk Kristiansen: Only the
best is good enough”.
With about 77,000 tonnes of petroleum-based plastics to
make 60 billion bricks and other pieces for its sets in 2014
[3], finding new, innovative and more sustainable materials to
make these parts would significantly reduce the Lego Group’s
impact on the planet [1, 2].
Photo: Courtesy LEGO A/S
To achieve these goals, Lego is working with suppliers,
universities and partners such as World Wildlife Fund to
research, develop and implement sustainable raw materials
for Lego products and packaging [1]. An example is the new
collaboration with WWF that was agreed in spring 2015 and
focuses on better assessing the overall sustainability and
environmental impact of new bio-based materials for Lego
elements and packaging [2].
Erin Simon, Deputy Director, Sustainability R&D at World
Wildlife Fund said “WWF is excited to work with the Lego
Group to help meet our shared conservation challenges. By
sourcing materials responsibly, we’re also helping to protect
the ecosystems that we all rely on. We’re excited to help the
Lego Group on its journey to source all of their materials
responsibly.” [1]
However, according to Tim Guy Brooks, Vice President
Environmental Sustainability at Lego, “it is vital that any new
materials introduced must meet our current quality, safety
and play standards. The solution may not be one size fits all.
We’re considering a mix of solutions that may include the use
of plant-based plastics…” [1].
In a Wall Street Journal report [3] Brooks said they won’t
rule out any possibilities in their search for alternatives, but
Lego prefers that their new plastic be derived from waste
materials, such as corn stalk or other agricultural waste “that
doesn’t appear to serve any other purpose.” [3]
Besides all environmental aspects, quality and functionality
is really a challenge. Each Lego piece, whether basic blocks
or the swiveling parts of figurines or technical components
such as excavator shovels, must interlock with other pieces
with unchanging precision [3]. “Making Legos is incredibly
precise,” as Tim Guy Brooks pointed out, “we mold it to about
four-thousandths of a millimeter,” The currently used ABS is
“very durable, holds color really well…it even has a particular
sound.” [3].
During Natureworks’ Innovation Takes Root conference in
2015, Allan Rasmussen (then Plastic & Innovation Manager
at Lego) told bioplastics MAGAZINE, that the force to hold Lego
bricks together must be big enough that they don’t fall apart
by themselves. On the other hand, this force must be small
enough for 2 – 3 year old kids to take them apart when they
want to.
Finding alternative materials, for example biobased
plastics “is the right thing to do for Lego—fossil fuels are a
finite resource and we know that,” Tim Guy Brooks said [3]. MT
www.lego.com
[1] Brooks, T.G.: Building up to sustainability: Lego Group’s journey, blog-post
at http://www.worldwildlife.org/blogs/on-balance/posts/building-up-tosustainability-Lego-group-s-journey
(27 April 2016)
[2] Trangbæk R.R.: Lego Group to invest 1 billion dkk boosting search for
sustainable materials (http://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/newsroom/2015/june/sustainable-materials-centre)
[3] Chao, L.: Lego Tries to Build a Better Brick, http://www.wsj.com/articles/
Lego-tries-to-build-a-better-brick-1436734774 (July 2015)
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11 31

Toys
Cracking the code of durable
Over the past 50 years, thermoplastics have largely replaced
metal and wood as the preferred materials used
for toy manufacturing. Amongst all commodity thermoplastics,
ABS is one of the most commonly selected resins for
high-end toy applications that demand long-term durability.
Although ABS has been developed, refined and optimized over
several decades to meet the performance requirements of the
toy market, it has remained a fully fossil fuel-based material
and includes a number of additives that have been identified
as potentially harmful to human health and the environment
(as defined by California’s Proposition 65 [1]). And then, enter
Solegear Bioplastic Technologies who has focused its attention
on developing bioplastics with maximum bio-based
content for high performance markets like toys and other
ABS applications. The company’s most recent research and
development has led to the successful development of a new
generation of durable biopolymers with over 95% bio-based
content and performance characteristics that make it a real
contender as a bio-based replacement for ABS.
ABS or Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene is a ter-polymer in
which each of the three polymers brings unique characteristics
on their own and also in synergy with one another. Acrylonitrile
(A) delivers mainly hardness and gloss, butadiene (B) creates
impact resistance, and styrene (S) brings heat resistance, gloss
and lowers the overall material cost. There are also significant
differences in the ratio of each polymer and additive used in ABS
formulations, depending on their end-market uses (such as
water drainage tubing, interior and exterior automotive parts,
computer and printer housings, electrical and electronics
casings, toys, – to name just a few). Formulations designed for
plastic toys are in the upper spectrum of all ABS formulations,
as high-end toys are expected to retain their gloss, mechanical
and chemical resistance, as well as show no significant signs
of aging over time. This is quite important, as toys are well
known to retain sentimental value and be passed down from
generation to generation.
Bioplastic producers around world have grappled with
the challenges of replicating the durability and synergistic
properties of ABS using bio-based materials, but Canada’s
Solegear Bioplastic Technologies embarked on this
quest several years ago in response to demands from
manufacturers for materials made with fewer chemicals of
concern and more renewable resources. Earlier last year, the
world-leading toy manufacturer, LEGO ® , announced a longterm
initiative to address the issue (cf. p. 31). The Danish
company announced an investment of 1 billion DKK to boost
search for more sustainable materials replacing ABS and
others plastics by 2030 [2]. Similarly did Italy-based Bio-on
Laboratories (cf. p. 26) who recently kicked off a contest to
formulate products using their naturally biodegradable PHA.
In late 2015 the “Minerv PHA Supertoys project was launched
by Bio-on Laboratories with no commercial goals” [3].
Table 1: Properties for Novadur 650
(Lanxess Engineering Chemistry, Styrenics Resins Asia
Pacific - Product Range and Reference Data (2006).)
Figure 1: Comparison of properties of SGB XD1000, XD1010 and
ABS Novadur 650
Property
Testing
methods
Values
Specific gravity ISO 1183 1.04
Tensile strength at break (MPa) ISO 527 33
Elongation at yield, at break (%) ISO 527 20
Tensile modulus (MPa) ISO 527 2,250
Flexural strength (MPa) ISO 178 68
Flexural modulus (MPa) ISO 178 2,200
Notched IZOD Impact 23 °C (KJ/m 2 ) ISO 180 22
Heat distortion Temperature 1.80 MPa (°C) ISO 75 91
Heat deflection
(°C)
Flexural
modulus
(GPa)
Flexural strength
(MPa)
Tensile modulus
(GPa)
Impact izod notched
(J/m)
Ultimate tensile
strength (MPa)
Elongation @ yield
(%)
Elongation @ break
(%)
XD1000
XD1010
ABS
32 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

Toys
bioplastics for the toy market
Adding to the challenges are the perceptions that bioplastics
by their very nature are designed to be disposable. As a
research model, Solegear focuses on developing bioplastic
formulations using existing, readily available biopolymer
building blocks and combining them with appropriate additives
and fillers to meet certain performance characteristics, all
the while maintaining the highest possible biobased content,
no chemicals of concern and low CO 2
footprints. In 2014
when Solegear turned its attention to developing a material
replacement for a typical ABS used in toys like building bricks
or figurines, the Company used the Lanxess Novadur 650
as the baseline reference material for targeted properties
(see Table 1). A rigorous screening process was started that
would deliver strong sustainability benefits, but also prioritize
the long-time durability of the bioplastic material. An extradurable
formulation was the main objective.
An ambitious Design of Experiments (DOE) plan was
developed for a wide discovery phase that would combine
a variety of biopolymers and polymers with some additives.
As expected, combinations of several different types of (bio)
polymers delivered both miscible and non-miscible options.
Over 100 different formulations were individually compounded,
molded and tested in laboratories using an iterative process.
With each iteration, biopolymers could be accepted or rejected
to narrow the search based on targeted specifications. The
formulations in development were all compounded using
twin-screw extruders; however, processing pellets into
testing specimens, including tensile bars and molded parts,
presented a somewhat different challenge.
Where needed, twin–screw reactive extrusion was the
preferred method for compounding pellets of each formulation.
From these pellets, different testing bars were injected.
Tensile, flexural and IZOD impact were the principal properties
evaluated according to ASTM standards. Regardless of
academic or small-scale lab research throughout the process,
scaling-up using industrial equipment is always extremely
challenging. After successful lab-scale results, selected
formulations were run and tested on a small industrial line,
with only minor processing adjustments being made along
the way. The final successful formulations have now been
commercialized under the name of Traverse ® XD1000 series.
The principal mechanical and thermal properties have been
compared with those of Novadur ® 650 as shown in Figure 1.
Traverse XD formulations deliver similar impact values,
higher stiffness (rigidity) and an important increase in ductility
(typically over 250% elongation at break vs approximately
20%). One particular formulation exceeded the expectations
of the R&D team to deliver what has been affectionately
nicknamed super tough, with high strength, high impact
resistance and high ductility all combined. Some differences
have been noted regarding shrinkage rate, which is slightly
By:
Michel Labonté
Solegear Bioplastic Technologies Inc.
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Both photos provided for illustrative purposes only,
not actual Solegear products
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11 33

Toys
Toys: latest news
lower (but constant) to that of ABS, and may cause an
issue if there is no opportunity to adjust molds for parts
assembled with very tight tolerances. However, normal
industrial tolerances should accommodate most slight
shrinkage differences. Specific density is also higher at
1.18 g/m³ compared to 1.04 g/m³ for ABS. However, the
combination of high strength and rigidity means that some
wall-thinning can be considered.
Testing bars, of course, are always injected under highly
controlled conditions to obtain optimum properties, but
injecting real parts is not always that simple. Injecting
intricate parts with ribs, openings and other design
features can always bring potential knit or welding lines
issues where two material flows meet at a precise point
in the part. In such cases, lower impact values can be
encountered, especially with less miscible polymer-additive
combinations. In fact, impact welding line resistance
became a major focus of Solegear’s later-stage research
to address conditions under which only 25 to 35% of the
IZOD value was obtained. With further iterative testing and
a number of modification to conditions at laboratory and
semi-industrial scale, Solegear’s research team devised
a proprietary solution that exceeded the Izod target value
without scarifying other properties. An optimized and
patent protected family of highly bio-based formulations
has been created and added to the Solegear’s existing
portfolio of durable bioplastics.
The Traverse XD family includes XD1000, an extremely
high bio-based (98%) formulation with high mechanical
resistance, ductility and high heat resistance. Traverse
XD1010 delivers the super tough performance with slightly
lower bio-based content (85%). For more cost-conscious
applications, Traverse XD1020 is an entry level formulation
with lower bio-based content (55%). All bio-based content
has been independently tested using ASTM D6866
standards or ISO 16620.
After intense development in lab-scale and on small
industrial compounding lines, Solegear’s XD formulations
are commercially ready for production environments
where specific parts and applications can be evaluated for
processing stability and performance at full scale. Having
met the most stringent demands within the toy industry
itself, these formulations can be applicable to other high
performance markets where stakeholders are thinking of
making a significant breakthrough toward sustainability.
A new generation of extra durable bioplastics with high
bio-based content to replace fossil fuels is no longer only
in our imagination; it is becoming a reality for visionary
companies who are ready to take the next big step towards
a bio-based economy.
www.solegear.ca
Innovation award for
Bioblo
Bioblo a young startup – company fromTulln, Lower
Austria, recently received the International Green Product
Award. The product: Bioblo, a novel play and construction
brick made from 100 % renewable resources that is meant
to capture the imagination of young and old.
More than 400 submissions from 21 countries were
judged by an international jury according to the criteria
design, innovation and sustainability. At the end, the three
young entrepreneurs from Tulln were in the lead as a
newcomer in the category Kids. As justification for the top
position, the innovative material, the unique design and
the high educational value of Bioblo blocks were cited.
Bioblos are made of mixture of wood and 100%
renewably sourced Green PE (by Braskem). The material
is thus 100 % free of oil, CO 2
-neutral and fully recyclable.
The compound was developed at the Institute of Natural
Materials Technology if the IFA Tulln (Department of
Agrobiotechnology at the University of Natural Resources
and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria) and sets new standards
in the field of ecological toys. The compound consists of
60 % wood chips from local, PEFC certified forestry and
either 40 % biobased Green-PE or recycled polypropylene
from recycled beakers.
The plastic content is limited to the minimum necessary
amount in order to fulfill the legal requirements on
stability and water resistance. The TÜV certified colorant
masterbatches are added directly during injection molding,
which replaces a subsequent dyeing or painting, and
eliminates the problems associated with such decoration
methods (staining, chipping).
The design of Bioblos resembles a perforated
honeycomb shape which is a resource-efficient but at
the same time very stable and visually appealing design.
The size of the blocks is selected so that there are no
swallowable small parts, and high towers can be built in
a short time. Unlike wooden blocks are Bioblos washable
and therefore suitable even for intensive and long time use
(for example, in nurseries and schools).
www.www.bioblo.com
References:
[1] N.N.: Proposition 65, Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of
1986 (http://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/law/proposition-65-law-andregulations)
[2] http://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news-room/2015/june/
sustainable-materials-centre
[3] N.N.: PHA for safer toys, bioplastics MAGAZINE, issue 01/2016
[4] New PLA formulations to replace ABS, bioplastics MAGAZINE, Issue
03/2015
34 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

Materials
BIO4SELF
Biobased self-functionalised selfreinforced
composite materials
based on high performance nanofibrillar
PLA fibres
By:
Thomas Köhler, Pavan Manvi, Christian Vierkötter,
Klaus Vonberg, Thomas Gries
Institut für Textiltechnik, RWTH Aachen University,
Aachen, Germany
Guy Buyle, Lien Van der Schueren
Centexbel Textile Research Center, Gent, Belgium
Gunnar Seide
Maastricht University, Maastricht Sci Programme,
Maastricht, Netherlands
The worldwide demand for replacing fossil-based raw
materials for the production of polymers leads to a significant
growth of bioplastics in terms of technological
developments. However, existing drawbacks for certain bioplastics
hinder exploring new fields of application. Polylactic
acid (PLA) has proven itself as a potential thermoplastic
polymer and a candidate in medical and injection moulding
application. Though PLA shows good melt processability, the
deployment in high performance applications is still a mile
stone due to following drawbacks:
• Lower mechanical performance:
The mechanical properties of PLA allow the uses in
films, packaging, containers (bottles and cups) and
medical applications but not enough to use PLA in
high performance applications like composites, where
filament properties are required equivalent to polyethylene
terephthalate (PET) and polyamides (PA).
• Limited durability:
PLA is sensitive to the hydrolytic degradation, which is
also a factor of temperature, moisture and pH value of
the medium. In high performance applications with long
lifetime, PLA has not yet been a primary choice.
Enhancement of mechanical properties and hydrolytic
stability is still a challenge for PLA. The application of PLA
in high performance applications demands improvement in
stiffness, impact strength and product durability.
Approach
The BIO4SELF project aims for enhanced mechanical
properties (stiffness, tensile strength, impact strength)
and temperature resistance by reinforcing PLA with LCPs
(Liquid Crystalline Polymer) via melt compounding process.
Furthermore, the durability of PLA based composites will
be improved via incorporating well-chosen anti-hydrolysis
agents. Further, inherent self-functionalization via
photocatalytic polymers (self-cleaning properties), tailored
microcapsules (self-healing) and deformation detection fibres
(self-sensing) will be added. The potential of these new to be
developed biobased composites will be proven in advanced
prototypes for automotive and home appliances. Cost-efficient
production of fully biobased composites meeting the demand
for high technical performances and sustainability will be
pursued by investigating the performances of new biobased
materials in plastic manufacturing.
Figure 1 displays the production process and the
advantages of a yarn based self-reinforced composite that
will be investigated in this project. To meet the overall goals
36 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

Materials
there will be developments in each step of the process:
incorporation of additives via melt compounding, filament
melt spinning of additive incorporated low and high
melting point PLA grades, commingling of PLA filaments
with variable melting points, weaving commingled PLA
yarns and consolidation via hot pressing process to
produce composites.
The Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University
(ITA) will contribute to the project in the development of
composite intermediates. ITA will develop a process to
combine the filament yarns with low and high melting
point (for matrix and reinforcement respectively) by a
commingling nozzle. The commingling nozzle has one or
more additional openings in cross direction to the yarn
path, through which compressed air passes into the yarn
path. The compressed air creates turbulences that mix
the filaments of both components to produce a hybrid
yarn. Furthermore, a weaving process for these yarns will
be developed. Composite test specimens will be produced
using hot pressing of the woven specimen and will be
tested for its mechanical properties.
The BIO4SELF consortium is strongly industry driven,
including five large enterprises and five SMEs. These
are completed with three universities and three research
centres. This way BIO4SELF covers all required expertise
and infrastructure from academic, applied research and
industry from 10 different EU countries.
Acknowledgement
BIO4SELF is an H2020 project, meaning that it is cofunded
by the European Union (grant of EUR 6.8 million).
It will last 40 months and started on March 1 st , 2016. It is
coordinated by Centexbel, the Belgian research centre for
textiles and plastics.
www.ita.rwth-aachen.de
www.centexbel.be
www.maastrichtuniversity.nl
Figure 1: Advantages of yarn based approach for the production of self-reinforced PLA composites
Compounding Melt spinning Commingling Weaving Consolidation
Advantages of yarn based
thermoplastic composites
Advantages of
self reinforced PLA composites
• High stiffness and strength at
low weight
• Use of various textile fabrics possible
• Multiple possibilities of function
intregration on fibre level
• Lower melt flow paths of matrix
polymer compared to film stacking
• Excellent impact properties
• Lower density than glass or
carbon fibre reinforced materials
• High recyclability
• No use of fossil-based polymers
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11 37

Additives
Sneaky peaky creatures
depriving bioplastics
Biopolymers are derived from a living source. The first of
two different types of biopolymer types is synthesized
directly by an organism (examples are DNA, RNA, proteins,
and polysaccharides). The second type is produced in
a synthetic chemical reaction from biological reactants. The
second type includes most of the biopolymers used to make
biobased plastics.
The markets for biobased plastics are growing in virtually
all parts of the world and one side effect of this growth is
facing difficulties due to the activities
of rodents and insects.
Humans are battling with pests since
the anthropocene period. The rise of
civilization led to the rise of technology
that helps to live the life more easily.
However, pests like certain rodents and
insects are making our life hard to live.
We don’t want to forget that in their
natural habitats all species including
rodents and insects are part of a natural
equilibrium. However, within the scope of this article we look
at rodents and insects that are ubiquitous also in our modern
human habitats. They cause nuisance in our day to day life.
They don’t discriminate between a house, agriculture field,
any size of business or any industrial plant. These pests pose
a threat to our livelihood resulting into manifold destructions
The numbers are interesting; 40 % of mammal species
found on earth are rodents. Termite colonies eat nonstop,
24 hours a day, seven days a week. This results in billions of
dollars in damage every year.
Bioplastics are being used for a myriad of applications such
as in the field of packaging, catering products, agriculture,
horticulture, consumer electronics and automotive
applications. And it seems, that certain
rodents and insects particularly like
biobased plastics. It is therefore
not surprising that these uninvited
guests cause a lot of damage to many
applications made from biobased
plastics such as wires, cables in the
telecom, signaling, power supply, gas
pipeline sector, agricultural films,
automotive fuel lines, consumer
appliances and various other
applications.
Insects and rodents go hand in hand; the entry of
termites paves the way for rodents. Talking about homes,
offices, schools, factories, railways all these places have
one thing in common which is the presence of some
plastic element in that place. Insects like termites, red
ants, raspberry ants, secrete a very potent formic acid.
This formic acid is capable of dissolving even the hardest
of plastics.
With rodents, their propensity to sharpen the two pairs of evergrowing
incisors makes them gnaw at anything hard. During
gnawing, the incisors grind against each other, wearing away the
softer dentine, leaving the enamel edge as the blade of a chisel.
This ‘self-sharpening’ system is very effective and is one of the
keys to the enormous success of rodents. They can survive in the
worst possible conditions too. Their success is probably due to
their small size, short breeding cycle, and ability to gnaw and eat
a wide variety of foods.
Shutterstock, Smith1972)
The aromatic odour of plastics, the
bright colour and their smooth texture,
attract insects and animals towards
them.
Currently used methods of dealing
with these annoying rodents and
insects are the use of extremely toxic
and potentially dangerous rodenticides
like Zinc phosphide, chlorophacinone
and diphacinone, all of them posing a
serious effect on human health as well.
That is why C-Tech Corporation from Mumbai, India, tried to
go for an environment friendly solution. The company wanted to
stop taking undue risks posed by the use of toxic rodenticides
and opt for a better and greener solution which will be non-toxic
and harmless to the non-target species. Combirepel is a nontoxic,
non-hazardous, non- dangerous and environment friendly
product developed and offered by C-Tech Corporation to repel
rodents and insects, instead of killing them. The product is a
result of smart technology and green chemistry. Combirepel is an
additive to be blended in plastics and it is made from proprietary
essential oils and vegetal extracts. When used with biodegradable
and compostable plastics, it does not affect the compostability
and does not leave any toxic or hazardous traces behind.
Thus it will be effective in keeping
these creatures away from appliances,
homes and cars. The product is
available in form of masterbatches and
can be blended into plastics in extrusion
or injection moulding processes. It can
also be applied to the surfaces in the
form of liquid concentrate or lacquer
solution.
Combirepel has a long shelf life
and is compliant with RoHS, RoHS2,
and REACH and is FIFRA exempted. C-Tech does not aim at
disturbing the ecosystem designed by nature. The products is
definitely an effective solution for controlling and managing
the problems and threat posed by rodents and insects in all
bioplastic applications.
C-Tech Corporation’s motto is “Live and let live” and they
state they’d undertake all steps to live by it.
www.ctechcorporation.com | www.rodrepel.com
www.combirepel.com | www.termirepel.com
38 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

Market study on
Bio-based Building Blocks and Polymers in the World
Capacities, Production and Applications: Status Quo and Trends towards 2020
Summer special: Buy the current market study and trend reports and get new market data for free in January 2017
Bio-based polymers: Worldwide production
capacity will triple from 5.7 million tonnes in
2014 to nearly 17 million tonnes in 2020. The
data show a 10% growth rate from 2012 to 2013
and even 11% from 2013 to 2014. However,
growth rate is expected to decrease in 2015.
Consequence of the low oil price?
million t/a
Bio-based polymers: Evolution of worldwide production capacities
from 2011 to 2020
20
actual data
forecast
The new third edition of the well-known 500
page-market study and trend reports on
“Bio-based Building Blocks and Polymers
in the World – Capacities, Production and
Applications: Status Quo and Trends Towards
2020” is available by now. It includes consistent
data from the year 2012 to the latest data of 2014
and the recently published data from European
Bioplastics, the association representing the
interests of Europe’s bioplastics industry.
Bio-based drop-in PET and the new polymer
PHA show the fastest rates of market growth.
Europe looses considerable shares in total
production to Asia. The bio-based polymer
turnover was about € 11 billion worldwide
in 2014 compared to € 10 billion in 2013.
http://bio-based.eu/markets
©
15
10
5
2011
-Institut.eu | 2015
2% of total
polymer capacity,
€11 billion turnover
2012
Epoxies
PE
2013
PUR
PBS
2014
CA
PBAT
2015
PET
PA
2016
PTT
PHA
2017
PEF
2018
Starch
Blends
EPDM
PLA
2019
2020
Full study available at www.bio-based.eu/markets
The nova-Institute carried out this study in
collaboration with renowned international
experts from the field of bio-based building
blocks and polymers. The study investigates
every kind of bio-based polymer and, for the
second time, several major building blocks
produced around the world.
What makes this report unique?
■ The 500 page-market study contains
over 200 tables and figures, 96 company
profiles and 11 exclusive trend reports
written by international experts.
■ These market data on bio-based building
blocks and polymers are the main source
of the European Bioplastics market data.
■ In addition to market data, the report offers
a complete and in-depth overview of
the bio-based economy, from policy to
standards & norms, from brand strategies to
environmental assessment and many more.
■ A comprehensive short version
(24 pages) is available for free at
http://bio-based.eu/markets
To whom is the report addressed?
■ The whole polymer value chain:
agro-industry, feedstock suppliers,
chemical industry (petro-based and
bio-based), global consumer
industries and brands owners
■ Investors
■ Associations and decision makers
Content of the full report
This 500 page-report presents the findings of
nova-Institute’s market study, which is made up
of three parts: “market data”, “trend reports”
and “company profiles” and contains over 200
tables and figures.
The “market data” section presents market
data about total production capacities and the
main application fields for selected bio-based
polymers worldwide (status quo in 2011, 2013
and 2014, trends and investments towards
2020). This part not only covers bio-based
polymers, but also investigates the current biobased
building block platforms.
The “trend reports” section contains a total of
eleven independent articles by leading experts
Buy the most comprehensive trend report on bio-based
polymers – and if you are not satisfied, give it back!
Order the full report
The full report can be ordered for 3,000 € plus VAT and
the short version of the report can be downloaded for
free at:
www.bio-based.eu/markets
Contact
Dipl.-Ing. Florence Aeschelmann
+49 (0) 22 33 / 48 14-48
florence.aeschelmann@nova-institut.de
in the field of bio-based polymers. These trend
reports cover in detail every important trend
in the worldwide bio-based building block and
polymer market.
The final “company profiles” section includes
96 company profiles with specific data
including locations, bio-based building blocks
and polymers, feedstocks and production
capacities (actual data for 2011, 2013 and
2014 and forecasts for 2020). The profiles also
encompass basic information on the companies
(joint ventures, partnerships, technology and
bio-based products). A company index by biobased
building blocks and polymers, with list of
acronyms, follows.

Certification
Confidence is Good –
“DIN-Geprüft” is better!
Additives for compostable products with certificate and international
certification mark now with revised certification scheme
By:
Lukas Willhauck
DIN CERTCO Gesellschaft für Konformitätsbewertung
DIN CERTCO /
TÜV Rheinland
certification mark
DIN-Geprüft
Berlin, Germany
DIN CERTCO / TÜV Rheinland – provides its now revised
specific certification scheme for additives which is
based on DIN EN 13432 and if applicable in connection
with ASTM D 6400, ASTM D 6868, DIN EN 14995, DIN SPEC
1165 (CEN/TR 15822), NF T 51-800, ISO 17088, ISO 18606,
AS 4736 and/or AS 5810 standards.
New are the standards NF T 51-800 (French standard),
ASTM D 6868 and DIN SPEC 1165.
This certification is the additive module of the DIN Certco/
TÜV Rheinland certification system, which enables
the certification and international quality labeling of
biodegradable, industrial compostable, home compostable
and biodegradable in soil products in a modular system which
is based on one another. This helps to save time and money
and to use a quality labelling system from a single source.
Included in this certification scheme are printing inks,
inorganic pigments, organic dyes, master batches and other
biodegradable additives (e. g. glues, coatings, and processing
aids)
Manufacturers or providers of additives can effectively show
that their products are suitable for composting with a certificate
and well known internationally accepted certification mark of
an independent and accredited third party certification body.
The certification process for products made of compostable
materials can be simplified and speeded up through the use
of additives that have been certified by DIN Certco.
In conjunction with the General Terms and Conditions of DIN
Certco, the certification scheme forms the basis for suppliers
of biodegradable and non-biodegradable additives to mark
their products with the Certification Mark DIN-Geprüft.
The Certification Mark DIN-Geprüft (= DIN tested) creates
consumer confidence, in the way that an independent, neutral
and competent body has carefully examined and assessed
the product on the basis of the test criteria. Third-party
monitoring further ensures that the quality of the product is
maintained also during the on-going production process. In
this way, the customer receives an added value, which he can
take into consideration in deciding on his purchase.
The following tests can be applied to prove the additives’
biological harmlessness and sufficient biodegradability:
• Chemical test on heavy metal and halogen content
• Laboratory testing of biodegradability
• Ecotoxicological tests on plant and/or earth worm toxicity
• An infrared transmission spectrum
The exact scope of testing depends on the composition of
the additive and on the requested standards for certification.
All certificate holders can be viewed on the daily up-dated
website of DIN Certco.
www.dincertco.de
40 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

Market study on
The consumption of biodegradable and compostable
plastic products in Europe 2015 and 2020
A comprehensive market research report including consumption figures by polymer and application types
FIRST MARKET STUDY ON CONSUMPTION OF COMPOSTABLE PLASTIC PRODUCTS PREDICTS DEMAND GROWTH
nova-Institute publishes the first
comprehensive market study on the
consumption of biodegradable and
compostable plastic products in Europe
2015 and 2020: 100,000 tonnes in 2015,
market demand could grow to beyond
300,000 tonnes in 2020.
Compostable plastic bags dominate the
market for biodegradable plastics in Europe.
They not only carry goods and biowaste but
also the hopes of the bioplastics industry for
huge markets in years to come. The legal
framework and composting infrastructure of
EU member states were found to be either
the bottleneck or the key driver for market
development. These are some of the main
findings by the expert team at nova-Institute
who researched the European market
demand for biodegradable polymers by
country as well as application, and analysed
framework conditions in detail. The market
of compostable and biodegradable plastic
products grew to 100,000 tonnes in 2015,
and could grow to beyond 300,000 tonnes
in 2020 – if the legal framework were to be
set more favourably.
The full report contains more than 300
slides of:
■ Market and company data by
geography, application and polymer.
■ Case studies on popular and promising
products.
■ A special feature on biodegradability and
organic waste management.
■ EU & Member States policy review and
analysis.
Scope of the report
■ Compostable or biodegradable polymer
types: PLA, (Co-)Polyesters (PBAT,
PBS(X), PLA-Copolyester Compounds,
Starch-Copolyester Compounds, Others:
PHA, compostable Cellophane films.
■ Applications: Biowaste bags, shopping
bags, flexible packaging, rigid packaging,
disposable tableware, coated paper/
board, agri-/horti-/aquaculture/Forestry
equipment, consumer goods, fibre-based
products, technical equipment.
■ Geographical coverage: Austria (AT)/
Germany(DE)/Switzerland (CH), Belgium
(BE)/the Netherlands (NL), France (FR),
Italy (IT), Sweden/Norway/Denmark/
Finland (N-EU), Spain (ES), United
Kingdom/Ireland (UK-IE).
21%
© – Institut.eu | 2016
Consumption of Biodegradable Plastic Products
by Application in the European Union,
100,000 tonnes in 2015 in per cent
7% 4%
Structure of the full report
1 Introduction
2 Summary & key findings
3 Production capacity data – Overview
4 Market data 2015
a. By polymer type (incl. company data)
b. By geography: EU and national
markets
c. By application
5 Political landscape: Policies and
legislation
a. EU level
b. Member States
c. Special trend report: Bagislation
6 Market scenarios 2020
a. Market trends
b. Case studies
7 Special feature: Standards – Labels –
Claims
8 Conclusions & Recommendations
A summary is available for free download:
www.bio-based.eu/markets
The full study is available for 3,500 € at
www.bio-based.eu/biodegradable_market_
study
The market study has more than 300
PowerPoint® slides of well-structured
market and company data, case studies and
a feature on biodegradation and composting.
68%
Bags (all types)
Packaging
Consumer Goods
Other Uses
Authors
Harald Kaeb (narocon, lead)
Florence Aeschelmann,
Lara Dammer and Michael Carus
(nova-Institute)
Contact
Dipl.-Ing. Florence Aeschelmann
+49 (0) 22 33 / 48 14-48
florence.aeschelmann@nova-institut.de
Order the full report
The full report can be
ordered for 3,500 € plus
VAT and the short version
of the report can be
downloaded for free at:
www.bio-based.eu/markets

Basics
Do biopolymers need additives?
„Plastics without additives are not viable“. This pithy phrase
opens the “Plastics Additives Handbook” which is a reference
book in this field. Therefore, there should be reasons for this
valuation.
When talking about plastics people normally think about
a well-designed serviceable material, e. g. a plastic bag, a
detergent container or – from an industrial point of view – a
sealable food container, a heat resistant engine block cover
or an impact resistant smart phone housing. What we don´t
keep in mind is that the raw material, based on polymerised
monomers, as obtained from (bio)chemical reactors is not a
plastic. These synthetic materials have inherent properties,
based on their atomic linkages, molecular structures and
the associated interactions between the chains. This applies
to fossil based polymers as well as to biobased polymers.
Therefore, as an example, polyethylene will always be softer
than a polyester like PET due to fewer interactions between
the chains. However, the inherent mechanical properties of
materials are only one side of the medal. Synthetic polymers
alone are, in general, not a processable plastic. Processable
means that the materials must not stick at the surfaces of the
plastic processing machinery, must have the right viscosity
and melt strength for molding and should not be changed in
their molecular structure as a result of thermomechanical
treatment.
Therefore, additives reducing stick and slip effects, tailoring
melt flow and strength as well as stabilisers are a must
in processing. PVC, independent of the source (fossil or
biobased), is an outstanding example for heat stabilisation.
Due to self-catalyzed mechanisms which eliminate hydrogen
chloride from PVC well below processing temperatures,
resulting in a coloured material, heat stabilisers are needed
to interrupt the catalytic cycles. Often, the viscosity of the raw
material is too high leading to increased shear energy input.
Plasticisers may then be needed. Moreover, due to production
conditions, water (even in small quantities like moisture of the
surrounding atmosphere adsorbed on the material) and oxygen
can degrade the material by chemical reactions. This process
may be slow at ambient temperature, but not in thermoplastic
processing. Depending on atmospheric humidity and material
dryness, polyesters especially need a sophisticated temperature
control and additivation to maintain molecular weight and
structure and therefore properties.
Let us now move one step further, from processing to use.
Will we have a serviceable plastic after being able to control
the processing using appropriate additives? Not at all! The
materials will become exposed to the environment and a
serviceable plastic material should not be susceptible to rapid
degradation caused by ultraviolet and visible radiation, oxidation
or hydrolysis. Therefore, several classes of additives have been
developed which intervene in the underlying polymer-type
depending molecular processes.
Furthermore, a serviceable plastic should have the right
morphology which should not change during usage. This is very
important for semi-crystalline polymers like PE, PP, PET and
PLA as well as for blends, which comprise a large market share
in the field of biobased plastics. Therefore nucleating additives
and clarifiers as well as compatibilisers have been developed.
Permeability of gases through a PLA/PHBV (3:1) blend film (100 µm)
Permeability of gases through a PLA/PHBV (3:1) blend film (100 µm)
18
110
16
Compatibiliser (reducing surface tension)
Reactive compatibilisation
PLA/PHBV stat. blockcopolymer
100
H 2
O / gm -2 d -1 and N 2
/ cm 3 m -2 d -1 bar -1
14
12
10
8
6
4
90
80
70
60
50
40
O 2
and CO 2
/ cm 3 m -2 d -1 bar -1
Yellowing due to
sunlight from window
Original white
2
30
0
H 2
O
23 °C,
85 % humidity
N 2
O 2
23 °C,
0 % humidity
CO 2
20
Example for poor UV-stabilizer
Specific synthesis of the compatibilizer (PLA/PHBV stat Blockcopolymer) gives
(slightly) better results than general types of commercialised surface reducing agents
42 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

Basics
Bioadditives?
By:
Rodion Kopitzky
Fraunhofer UMSICHT
Oberhausen Germany
Last but not least, there are product depending
requirements which are independent of the selected
material-type like toughness, strength, elasticity,
color, flame retardance, electrostatic behavior and
so on. Nevertheless, cost is also an important factor.
Fillers and reinforcing agents, plasticisers and impact
modifiers, antifogging additives and whitening agents,
pigments and dyes, antistatic and antimicrobial
additives and so on can be used for tailoring the
overall properties to get a serviceable plastic.
To make the right choice of additives, which can a)
influence each other and b) may have opposite effects
on properties is often a difficult task for a developer.
To focus on biobased plastics, there are in principle,
no particularities concerning additives. If the biobased
polymer is a drop-in material like biobased PE,
formulations with additives can be transferred directly.
In the case of starch, appropriate plasticisers must
be chosen to get thermoplastic starch. Figuratively it
is the same as choosing the right plasticiser for PVC
depending on the overall requirements. PLA is known
to be susceptible to water to some degree. Therefore
scavengers or chain extenders which react with water
or with the polyester degradation product can be
used. The molecular chemical basis of these additives
is the same for fossil and biobased polyesters and
sometimes the commercialised products only have
different names. Concerning reactive additives like
chain extenders, there may be differences between
fossil and biobased plastics. But this is due to the
processing conditions which alter the kinetics of
the reactive process. A branching chain extender
like glycidyl based polyepoxides (Joncryl) reacts
very quickly at 280 °C, the processing temperature
of PET, but much slower at 190 °C, the processing
temperature of most polyesters in biobased
formulations. Therefore, not all additive types are
transferable to other formulations when changing
the polymer and polymer-type specific additives have
to be used or developed. This is evident in the field
of reactive compatibilisers for fiber filled plastics
or in blends. These additives must be designed
according to the molecular basis of the components
and the polymer-type depending on mechanisms of
compatibilisation.
Do bioplastics need additives? Yes they do! Do
they need Bio-Additives? Summing up the previous
paragraphs the reason for an additive should not be
the material basis but rather the achievable overall
properties of the final plastic material formulation.
Additives based on vegetable oils or fatty acids,
for example, have been used as plasticisers and
lubricants for fossil based polymers for several
decades. The coplasticiser and acid scavenger
epoxidised fatty acid ester is, on a volume basis, one
of the biggest additives, used predominately with PVC.
From a sustainable point of view biobased additives often have an
advantage in short use application like packaging, due to low carbon
footprint (if the footprint is not destroyed by inefficient energy use during
production, due to lower production amounts). Biobased additives can
also raise the biobased carbon content in blends with biobased and
fossil based polymeric components. In respect to regulations (using the
term bio or biobased or biodegradable) they may be a must. However, the
terms biodegradation and biobased should not be confused. Additives
disregarding their material basis should not have an effect on the
degradation process. An acid scavenger like the above mentioned epoxy
would be contraproductive for use with PLA in short use applications
because it will decelerate the first step of biodegradation.
Nowadays, due to the discussion of the raw material basis beyond
fossil resources and the industrial availability of new building blocks like
succinic acid, new additives are under development or are in the market
entrance phase. Long term development of the biorefinery concept to
provide new biobased chemicals might even initiate the synthesis of
special additives like the UV-absorbers on a biobased basis in sufficient
amount and at acceptable costs. Nevertheless, until then, competitive
cost will be a critical factor in many cases.
www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de
Tiplock ®
the world’s first compostable
ziploc packaging
Tiplock is a joint development of
and Bio4Pack.
NEW
Bio4Pack GmbH • PO Box 5007 • D-48419 Rheine • Germany
T +49 (0) 5975 955 94 57 • F +49 (0) 5975 955 94 58
info@bio4pack.com • www.bio4pack.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11 43
Bio4pak-adv-BioPlastick-Magazine105x148_5.indd 1 18-05-16 11:04

10 years ago
Published in bioplastics MAGAZINE
10 YEARS AGO
new
series
“Basically, the information
in the article is
still true today. However,
the bioplastics market
has diversified and developed
enormously over
the past ten years with
new innovative materials
and a broader spectrum
of end-of-life-options.
Today, we define bioplastics
as plastics that are
bio-based, biodegradable,
or both.”, says Constance
Ißbrücker, Head
of Environmental Affairs
at European Bioplastics,
the successor organization
of the former IBAW.
Basics
Fig 1: Ideal closed loop life
cycle of biodegradable products
(courtesy of IBAW)
Definition of “Bioplastics”
To say it right from the beginning:
A clear definition of “bioplastics”
that would be agreed upon by all
parties involved worldwide does
not exist. Even though bioplastics
magazine will try to make a first
step by formulating a draft. Our
readers’ comments on this draft
are always welcome and may lead
to an updated definition in one of
the coming issues.
The idea of bioplastics
The basic idea behind bioplastics is taken from nature‘s
cycle. Worldwide, more than 100 billion tonnes of organic
material is generated every year by photosynthesis. Most
of it is subsequently converted back into the starting products,
carbon dioxide and water, by micro-organisms. This
cycle is the role model for bioplastics, that are often made
from renewable raw materials obtained from agricultural
production. When biodegradable plastics (or certain other
products in general) have served their purpose, they can be
composted - a recycling method for which bioplastics are
highly suited [1].
This leads to a first try of a definition ...
Bioplastics are man-made plastics (polymers) which can
be processed by established plastics processing technologies
such as injection moulding, blown or cast film extrusion,
blow moulding, extrusion etc. and which are
A) based on (annually) renewable raw materials (RRM) or
B) biodegradable.
Annually renewable raw materials are plants like maize/
corn, rapeseed or soy from which, e.g. starch or edible oils
can be harvested, which in turn can then be converted into
thermoplastic polymers. The biodegradability is defined
by different standards, in Europe, for example by the EN
13432 standard. Products that are candidates to be classified
as biodegradable or compostable have to be certified
by independent entities and then receive an appropriate
logo (see page X for an example)
Both aspects of being based on renewable sources and
being bio-degradable have been fulfilled for most of the
so-called bioplastics that are already commercially available.
However, there are also materials available that are,
for example, biodegradable, but based on crude oil, or
even blends or other combinations of polymers that are
partly made of RRM and partly of crude oil. Other materials
are based on (or even only partly based on) renewable
sources, but are not biodegradable. These are for example
polyamides (11 or 6.9) based on castor-oil or tallow, polyesters
containing bio-based 1,3-propane-diol, polypropylene
with wood fibre fillers, polyethylene-starch blends or
polyurethanes with polyols based on sugar or fatty acids.
Here the definition becomes difficult ...
On one hand, in view of limited crude oil resources and
rising prices, the aspect of sustainability, and therefore
also the use of RRM, is becoming increasingly more important.
So even materials that are only partly based on
RRM can be a useful approach, especially when properties
are achieved, that cannot be achieved with materials
based 100% on RRM. But what should be the minimum
percentage of RRM for such a material to be called a bioplastic?
On the other hand, if a polymer is based on renewable
sources, should it necessarily have to also be biodegradable?
If such a material is incinerated, for example, with
exploitation of the energy stored within it, there is a neutral
effect on the climate. The amount of carbon dioxide
emitted during incineration is less or equal to the CO 2 that
was absorbed by the plant during its growth.
A completely different group of materials are so-called
oxo-degradable polymers, sometimes referred to as oxo-
This series is to be continued. Topics in the coming
issues are listed below. Bioplastics magazine encourages
its readers to contribute their knowledge
for the coming “Basics” features.
Bio-degradation
What is degradation? What about degradation in
water, in soil, elsewhere?
What is composting? What happens in an industrial
composting plant, what happens in home
composting?
Do we have enough agricultural space
to grow “bioplastics”
How much space is needed to produce one kg or
one tonne of bioplastics?
What about the growing need for agricultural
space for other bio-based products like bio-fuels
and chemicals based on renewable sources?
Further topics
Definition of “sustainability”
How is maize/corn converted into PLA?
How do bacteria make PHA?
How is PHA made from switchgrass?
How is starch converted into plastics?
etc.
toxicity. The so-called “oxo-biodegradable” polyethylene
(PE) products may fragment into very small particles after
exposure to UV light or dry heat. PE is however still to a
large extent resistant to biodegradation after fragmentation,
and there is therefore potential of high persistency in
the environment and bioaccumulation of liberated regulated
metals and PE fragments in organisms due to the
slow process. None of the oxo-degradable polymer products
has ever been proved to fulfil the EN 13432 standard.
They seem to be outside the range of the bioplastics class,
although some of their protagonists may like to see them
included [2].
A lot of open questions. Any comments or opinions
are welcome and should be addressed to
Basics
read the original from 2006:
bit.ly/2ah4zES
26 bioplastics [06/01] Vol. 1
biodegradables. These materials, based on polyethylene
(from fossile resources), but containing additives to promote
degradation of the material, are a contentious issue,
as they pose several concerns regarding safety and eco-
editor@bioplasticsmagazine.com.
References:
[1] www.ibaw.org
[2] Position paper on “Degradable” PE Shopping Bags,
IBAW, Berlin, published June 6, 2005
bioplastics [06/01] Vol. 1 27
www.co2-chemistry.eu
Leading Event on Carbon Capture
and Utilization in 2016
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Programme
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dominik.vogt@nova-institut.de
Venue
Maternushaus
Kardinal-Frings-Str. 1
50668 Cologne
www.maternushaus.de
Organiser
nova-Institut GmbH
Chemiepark Knapsack
Industriestraße 300
50354 Hürth, Germany
44 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

compounding
WORLD
Asia 2016
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Waterfront Hotel, Singapore
22 - 23 September 2016
Renewable . Ambient Compostable Plastic . FCN Approved
First 30
day days
60
days
120 180
days days
Excellent Heat
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Heat resistance up to
100 C
Runs well with
LDPE machine
*This test was conducted under natural condition in Bangkok, Thailand.
Dreaming of naturally compostable bioplastic ? Here is the answer.
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8C083
BioPBS is available in various grades that conform to the following international standards for composting and biobased.
For more information
PTTMCC Biochem : +66 (2) 2 140 3555 / info@pttmcc.com
MCPP Germany GmbH : +49 (0) 152 018 920 51 / frank.steinbrecher@mcpp-europe.com
MCPP France SAS : +33 (0) 6 07 22 25 32 / fabien.resweber@mcpp-europe.com
PTT MCC Biochem Co., Ltd. A Joint Venture Company of PTT and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
555/2 Energy Complex Tower, Building B, 14th Floor, Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
T: +66 (0) 2 140 3555 I F: +66(0) 2 140 3556 I www.pttmcc.com

Suppliers Guide
1. Raw Materials
AGRANA Starch
Bioplastics
Conrathstraße 7
A-3950 Gmuend, Austria
technical.starch@agrana.com
www.agrana.com
Jincheng, Lin‘an, Hangzhou,
Zhejiang 311300, P.R. China
China contact: Grace Jin
mobile: 0086 135 7578 9843
Grace@xinfupharm.com
Europe contact(Belgium): Susan Zhang
mobile: 0032 478 991619
zxh0612@hotmail.com
www.xinfupharm.com
Kingfa Sci. & Tech. Co., Ltd.
No.33 Kefeng Rd, Sc. City, Guangzhou
Hi-Tech Ind. Development Zone,
Guangdong, P.R. China. 510663
Tel: +86 (0)20 6622 1696
info@ecopond.com.cn
www.ecopond.com.cn
FLEX-162 Biodeg. Blown Film Resin!
Bio-873 4-Star Inj. Bio-Based Resin!
Simply contact:
Tel.: +49 2161 6884467
suppguide@bioplasticsmagazine.com
Stay permanently listed in the
Suppliers Guide with your company
logo and contact information.
For only 6,– EUR per mm, per issue you
can be present among top suppliers in
the field of bioplastics.
For Example:
Showa Denko Europe GmbH
Konrad-Zuse-Platz 4
81829 Munich, Germany
Tel.: +49 89 93996226
www.showa-denko.com
support@sde.de
PTT MCC Biochem Co., Ltd.
info@pttmcc.com / www.pttmcc.com
Tel: +66(0) 2 140-3563
MCPP Germany GmbH
+49 (0) 152-018 920 51
frank.steinbrecher@mcpp-europe.com
MCPP France SAS
+33 (0) 6 07 22 25 32
fabien.resweber@mcpp-europe.com
1.1 bio based monomers
Corbion Purac
Arkelsedijk 46, P.O. Box 21
4200 AA Gorinchem -
The Netherlands
Tel.: +31 (0)183 695 695
Fax: +31 (0)183 695 604
www.corbion.com/bioplastics
bioplastics@corbion.com
62 136 Lestrem, France
Tel.: + 33 (0) 3 21 63 36 00
www.roquette-performance-plastics.com
FKuR Kunststoff GmbH
Siemensring 79
D - 47 877 Willich
Tel. +49 2154 9251-0
Tel.: +49 2154 9251-51
sales@fkur.com
www.fkur.com
GRAFE-Group
Waldecker Straße 21,
99444 Blankenhain, Germany
Tel. +49 36459 45 0
www.grafe.com
39 mm
Polymedia Publisher GmbH
Dammer Str. 112
41066 Mönchengladbach
Germany
Tel. +49 2161 664864
Fax +49 2161 631045
info@bioplasticsmagazine.com
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com
Sample Charge:
39mm x 6,00 €
= 234,00 € per entry/per issue
Sample Charge for one year:
6 issues x 234,00 EUR = 1,404.00 €
The entry in our Suppliers Guide is
bookable for one year (6 issues) and
extends automatically if it’s not canceled
three month before expiry.
www.facebook.com
www.issuu.com
www.twitter.com
www.youtube.com
DuPont de Nemours International S.A.
2 chemin du Pavillon
1218 - Le Grand Saconnex
Switzerland
Tel.: +41 22 171 51 11
Fax: +41 22 580 22 45
www.renewable.dupont.com
www.plastics.dupont.com
Tel: +86 351-8689356
Fax: +86 351-8689718
www.ecoworld.jinhuigroup.com
ecoworldsales@jinhuigroup.com
Evonik Industries AG
Paul Baumann Straße 1
45772 Marl, Germany
Tel +49 2365 49-4717
evonik-hp@evonik.com
www.vestamid-terra.com
www.evonik.com
1.2 compounds
API S.p.A.
Via Dante Alighieri, 27
36065 Mussolente (VI), Italy
Telephone +39 0424 579711
www.apiplastic.com
www.apinatbio.com
BIO-FED
Branch of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH
BioCampus Cologne
Nattermannallee 1
50829 Cologne, Germany
Tel.: +49 221 88 88 94-00
info@bio-fed.com
www.bio-fed.com
Green Dot Bioplastics
226 Broadway | PO Box #142
Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845, USA
Tel.: +1 620-273-8919
info@greendotholdings.com
www.greendotpure.com
NUREL Engineering Polymers
Ctra. Barcelona, km 329
50016 Zaragoza, Spain
Tel: +34 976 465 579
inzea@samca.com
www.inzea-biopolymers.com
PolyOne
Avenue Melville Wilson, 2
Zoning de la Fagne
5330 Assesse
Belgium
Tel.: + 32 83 660 211
www.polyone.com
46 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

Suppliers Guide
1.3 PLA
1.6 masterbatches
6.2 Laboratory Equipment
Shenzhen Esun Ind. Co;Ltd
www.brightcn.net
www.esun.en.alibaba.com
bright@brightcn.net
Tel: +86-755-2603 1978
JIANGSU SUPLA BIOPLASTICS CO., LTD.
Tel: +86 527 88278888
WeChat: supla-168
supla@supla-bioplastics.cn
www.supla-bioplastics.cn
1.4 starch-based bioplastics
BIOTEC
Biologische Naturverpackungen
Werner-Heisenberg-Strasse 32
46446 Emmerich/Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 2822 – 92510
info@biotec.de
www.biotec.de
Grabio Greentech Corporation
Tel: +886-3-598-6496
No. 91, Guangfu N. Rd., Hsinchu
Industrial Park,Hukou Township,
Hsinchu County 30351, Taiwan
sales@grabio.com.tw
www.grabio.com.tw
1.5 PHA
TianAn Biopolymer
No. 68 Dagang 6th Rd,
Beilun, Ningbo, China, 315800
Tel. +86-57 48 68 62 50 2
Fax +86-57 48 68 77 98 0
enquiry@tianan-enmat.com
www.tianan-enmat.com
GRAFE-Group
Waldecker Straße 21,
99444 Blankenhain, Germany
Tel. +49 36459 45 0
www.grafe.com
PolyOne
Avenue Melville Wilson, 2
Zoning de la Fagne
5330 Assesse
Belgium
Tel.: + 32 83 660 211
www.polyone.com
2. Additives/Secondary raw materials
GRAFE-Group
Waldecker Straße 21,
99444 Blankenhain, Germany
Tel. +49 36459 45 0
www.grafe.com
3. Semi finished products
3.1 films
Infiana Germany GmbH & Co. KG
Zweibrückenstraße 15-25
91301 Forchheim
Tel. +49-9191 81-0
Fax +49-9191 81-212
www.infiana.com
4. Bioplastics products
Minima Technology Co., Ltd.
Esmy Huang, Marketing Manager
No.33. Yichang E. Rd., Taipin City,
Taichung County
411, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Tel. +886(4)2277 6888
Fax +883(4)2277 6989
Mobil +886(0)982-829988
esmy@minima-tech.com
Skype esmy325
www.minima-tech.com
Natur-Tec ® - Northern Technologies
4201 Woodland Road
Circle Pines, MN 55014 USA
Tel. +1 763.404.8700
Fax +1 763.225.6645
info@natur-tec.com
www.natur-tec.com
NOVAMONT S.p.A.
Via Fauser , 8
28100 Novara - ITALIA
Fax +39.0321.699.601
Tel. +39.0321.699.611
www.novamont.com
President Packaging Ind., Corp.
PLA Paper Hot Cup manufacture
In Taiwan, www.ppi.com.tw
Tel.: +886-6-570-4066 ext.5531
Fax: +886-6-570-4077
sales@ppi.com.tw
6. Equipment
6.1 Machinery & Molds
MODA: Biodegradability Analyzer
SAIDA FDS INC.
143-10 Isshiki, Yaizu,
Shizuoka,Japan
Tel:+81-54-624-6260
Info2@moda.vg
www.saidagroup.jp
7. Plant engineering
EREMA Engineering Recycling
Maschinen und Anlagen GmbH
Unterfeldstrasse 3
4052 Ansfelden, AUSTRIA
Phone: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-0
Fax: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-23
erema@erema.at
www.erema.at
Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH
Holzhauser Strasse 157–159
D-13509 Berlin
Tel. +49 30 43 567 5
Fax +49 30 43 567 699
sales.de@uhde-inventa-fischer.com
Uhde Inventa-Fischer AG
Via Innovativa 31, CH-7013 Domat/Ems
Tel. +41 81 632 63 11
Fax +41 81 632 74 03
sales.ch@uhde-inventa-fischer.com
www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com
9. Services
Osterfelder Str. 3
46047 Oberhausen
Tel.: +49 (0)208 8598 1227
Fax: +49 (0)208 8598 1424
thomas.wodke@umsicht.fhg.de
www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de
Metabolix, Inc.
Bio-based and biodegradable resins
and performance additives
21 Erie Street
Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
US +1-617-583-1700
DE +49 (0) 221 / 88 88 94 00
www.metabolix.com
info@metabolix.com
Bio4Pack GmbH
D-48419 Rheine, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 5975 955 94 57
info@bio4pack.com
www.bio4pack.com
Buss AG
Hohenrainstrasse 10
4133 Pratteln / Switzerland
Tel.: +41 61 825 66 00
Fax: +41 61 825 68 58
info@busscorp.com
www.busscorp.com
Institut für Kunststofftechnik
Universität Stuttgart
Böblinger Straße 70
70199 Stuttgart
Tel +49 711/685-62814
Linda.Goebel@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de
www.ikt.uni-stuttgart.de
Molds, Change Parts and Turnkey
Solutions for the PET/Bioplastic
Container Industry
284 Pinebush Road
Cambridge Ontario
Canada N1T 1Z6
Tel. +1 519 624 9720
Fax +1 519 624 9721
info@hallink.com
www.hallink.com
narocon
Dr. Harald Kaeb
Tel.: +49 30-28096930
kaeb@narocon.de
www.narocon.de
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11 47

Suppliers Guide
www.pu-magazine.com
145x165_E_PUtitel.qxp_Layout 1 03.05.16 16:00 Seite 1
03/2016 JUNE/JULY
Machines, plants & technologies for highly efficient polyurethane processing
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KM_Anz_Mischköpfe_DE_145x165+3_Titel.indd 1 20.05.16 11:26
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Side wall/Carcass
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Rim Cushion
APEX/Beadfiller
Volume 11, April 2016
organomodified siloxanes
thermally conductive flexible compounds
adhesion to pa
biobased tpe
influence of oil
Volume 8, June 2016
9. Services (continued)
nova-Institut GmbH
Chemiepark Knapsack
Industriestrasse 300
50354 Huerth, Germany
Tel.: +49(0)2233-48-14 40
E-Mail: contact@nova-institut.de
www.biobased.eu
European Bioplastics e.V.
Marienstr. 19/20
10117 Berlin, Germany
Tel. +49 30 284 82 350
Fax +49 30 284 84 359
info@european-bioplastics.org
www.european-bioplastics.org
10.2 Universities
Michigan State University
Department of Chemical
Engineering & Materials Science
Professor Ramani Narayan
East Lansing MI 48824, USA
Tel. +1 517 719 7163
narayan@msu.edu
10.3 Other Institutions
Simply contact:
Tel.: +49 2161 6884467
suppguide@bioplasticsmagazine.com
Stay permanently listed in the
Suppliers Guide with your company
logo and contact information.
For only 6,– EUR per mm, per issue you
can be present among top suppliers in
the field of bioplastics.
For Example:
Bioplastics Consulting
Tel. +49 2161 664864
info@polymediaconsult.com
10. Institutions
10.1 Associations
BPI - The Biodegradable
Products Institute
331 West 57th Street, Suite 415
New York, NY 10019, USA
Tel. +1-888-274-5646
info@bpiworld.org
IfBB – Institute for Bioplastics
and Biocomposites
University of Applied Sciences
and Arts Hanover
Faculty II – Mechanical and
Bioprocess Engineering
Heisterbergallee 12
30453 Hannover, Germany
Tel.: +49 5 11 / 92 96 - 22 69
Fax: +49 5 11 / 92 96 - 99 - 22 69
lisa.mundzeck@fh-hannover.de
http://www.ifbb-hannover.de/
Biobased Packaging Innovations
Caroli Buitenhuis
IJburglaan 836
1087 EM Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Tel.: +31 6-24216733
http://www.biobasedpackaging.nl
Polymedia Publisher GmbH
Dammer Str. 112
41066 Mönchengladbach
Germany
Tel. +49 2161 664864
Fax +49 2161 631045
info@bioplasticsmagazine.com
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com
Sample Charge:
39mm x 6,00 €
= 234,00 € per entry/per issue
Sample Charge for one year:
6 issues x 234,00 EUR = 1,404.00 €
The entry in our Suppliers Guide is
bookable for one year (6 issues) and
extends automatically if it’s not canceled
three month before expiry.
39 mm
SEEING POLYMERS
WITH DIFFERENT EYES...
Heißluftvulkanisation
Service life of NBR in hydraulic fluids
POLYURETHANES MAGAZINE INTERNATIONAL
Interview with A. Maier-Richter, Covestro
Lightweight automotive doors
CO 2 -based polyols fo rigid foams
Advances in trimer catalysts for PIR foams
Interactions of PU with metal surfaces
WELCOME TO FASCINATION AT
ION PUR
FORUM FÜR DIE POLYURETHANINDUSTRIE
PU MAGAZIN
Interview: A. Maier-Richter, Covestro
CO 2 -basierte Polyole in Hartschaum-Anwendungen
Endlosfaserverstärkte PU-Hohlkörper
Geschäumte Dichtungen
Emissionsarme PU-Schäume
Seit Jahrzehnten top
Hochdruck-Mischköpfe von KraussMaffei
Realitätsnahe Härteprüfung
Vorhersage der Elastomerlebensdauer
Tieftemperaturbeständige FKMs in Kerosin
Fachmagazin für die Polymerindustrie
3D-Plotten mit LSR
Magazine for the Polymer Industry
Visit our new website: www.elastomer.kuraray.com
Elastomers and oil
Rheology of silicone elastomers
Dispersion agents
LBR and LIR as coagents for
peroxide crosslinking
Kuraray Liquid Rubber in tires
for long lasting product solutions
Chinaplas 2016
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Our technical magazines and books create your expertise
48 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11
P. O. Box 10 13 30 · 40833 Ratingen/Germany · www.gupta-verlag.com
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ISSN 1862-5258
Basics
PHA (update) | 38
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Blow Moulding | 12
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23.05.2017 - 25.05.2017 - New York City Area, USA
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bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 11
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bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11 49

Companies in this issue
Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert
Agrana Starch Thermoplastics 46
AIMPLAS 10, 13
Aljuan 13
Almuplas 13
API 46
AVA CO2 17
Barbier Group 6
BASF 9, 10
Beginagian 23
Bergans 21
Binga red Mointain 18
Bio4Pack 10 43
Biobased Packaging Innovations 10 48
BioBlo 34
BIO-FED 46
Bio-on 26
Bioplastics.online 44
Bioserie 28
Biosolutions 10
BIOTEC 10 47
BMEL 7, 25
Boxine 30
BPI 48
Bpifance 6
Braskem 34
Buss 27, 47
Cabolice 6
Carbios 6
Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites 29
CIP Eco Innovations Programme 8
Coca-Cola 17
Corbion 10 46
C-tech Corporation 38
DIN Certco 40
Doill ECOTEC 10, 16
DSM 10, 19, 21
DuPont 46
Eatsafe 19
Eckpack 30
EcoCortec 8
EREMA 47
Espacoplas 13
European Bioplastics 5, 10, 18, 44 23, 48
Evonik 46
Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe 25
FKuR 2, 46
Ford Motor Company 8
Formcard 20
Fraunhofer ICT 10
Fraunhofer UMSICHT 42 47
Gehr 5
GRABIO Greentech Corporation 47
Grafe 46, 47
Green Dot 23 46
Hallink 47
Helian Polymers 15
Hugo Frosch 2
IFA Tulln 34
Infiana Germany 47
INR 13
Inst. F. Textiltechnik ITA, RWTH Aachen 36
Institut für Bioplastics & Biocomposites 10 48
JinHui ZhaoLong 46
Jose Cuervo 8
Kingfa 46
Konrad Hornschuch 24
Lego 31, 32
Leistritz 22
Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients 6
Luke's Toy factory 23
Metabolix 47
Michigan State University 10 48
Minima Technology 47
Mitsubishi Chemical 10
narocon 9 47
Natur office 18
NatureWorks 5, 10
Natur-Tec 47
nova-Institute 10 39, 41, 44, 48
Novamont 6, 10 47, 52
NUREL Engineering Polymers 46
Original Food 18
OWS 13
Pennakem 7
PIA Future Investment Programme 6
plasticker 9
PolyOne 46, 47
President Packaging 48
PTT MCC Biochem 45, 47
Reverdia 5, 10
Roquette 46
RPCS Promens 5
S2G BioChemicals 7
Saida 47
Samsill 20
Schleich 24
Scion 10
Seufert 18
Shenzhen Esun Industrial 47
Showa Denko 46
SKZ 10, 24
Solegear 32
SPI-Industrial Projects Company 6
Sukano 10
Sulzer Chemtech 10
Supla 47
Sustainability Consult 10, 11 35
Synbra 10
Taghleef Industries 10
Teamplast 5
Tecnaro 10, 24, 30
TianAn Biopolymer 47
TicToys 30
Toray Plastics 21
TUV Rheinland 40
Uhde Inventa-Fischer 47
United Nations Environmental Programme 8
United Soybean Board 20
United States Pharmacopeia 7
Univ. Stuttgart (IKT) 48
Vizelpas 13
VLB 13
Wageningen UR 5
WWF 31
Zhejiang Hangzhou Xinfu Pharmaceutical 46
Editorial Planner
2016
Issue Month Publ.-Date
edit/advert/
Deadline
05/2016 Sep/Oct 04 Oct 2016 02 Sep 2016 Fiber / Textile /
Nonwoven
Editorial Focus (1) Editorial Focus (2) Basics
Polyurethanes /
Elastomers/Rubber
Co-Polyesters
Trade-Fair
Specials
K'2016 preview
06/2016 Nov/Dec 05 Dec 2016 04 Nov 2016 Films / Flexibles /
Bags
Consumer & Office
Electronics
Certification - Blessing
and Curse
K'2016 Review
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50 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/16] Vol. 11

PRESENTS
2016
THE ELEVENTH ANNUAL GLOBAL AWARD FOR
DEVELOPERS, MANUFACTURERS AND USERS OF
BIOBASED AND/OR BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS.
Call for proposals
Enter your own product, service or development, or nominate
your favourite example from another organisation
Please let us know until August 31 st
1. What the product, service or development is and does
2. Why you think this product, service or development should win an award
3. What your (or the proposed) company or organisation does
Your entry should not exceed 500 words (approx. 1 page) and may also
be supported with photographs, samples, marketing brochures and/or
technical documentation (cannot be sent back). The 5 nominees must be
prepared to provide a 30 second videoclip
More details and an entry form can be downloaded from
www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/award
The Bioplastics Award will be presented during the
11 th European Bioplastics Conference
November 29-30, 2016, Berlin, Germany
supported by
Sponsors welcome, please contact mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com

www.novamont.com
BIODEGRADABLE AND COMPOSTABLE BIOPLASTIC
CONTROLLED, innovative, GUARANTEED
EcoComunicazione.it
QUALITY OUR TOP PRIORITY
Using the MATER-BI trademark licence
means that NOVAMONT’s partners agree
to comply with strict quality parameters and
testing of random samples from the market.
These are designed to ensure that films
are converted under ideal conditions
and that articles produced in MATER-BI
meet all essential requirements. To date
over 1000 products have been tested.
THE GUARANTEE
OF AN ITALIAN BRAND
MATER-BI is part of a virtuous
production system, undertaken
entirely on Italian territory.
It enters into a production chain
that involves everyone,
from the farmer to the composter,
from the converter via the retailer
to the consumer.
USED FOR ALL TYPES
OF WASTE DISPOSAL
MATER-BI has unique,
environmentally-friendly properties.
It is biodegradable and compostable
and contains renewable raw materials.
It is the ideal solution for organic
waste collection bags and is
organically recycled into fertile
compost.
r8_03.2016