bioplasticsMAGAZINE_1406
bioplasticsMAGAZINE_1406
bioplasticsMAGAZINE_1406
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Consumer Electronics<br />
component. This sustainable resource can be derived<br />
from harvested crops, such as field corn (not for human<br />
consumption), sugar beets and sweet potatoes, Already<br />
cost competitive with existing styrene-acrylate and<br />
polyester petrotoners, economies of scale are expected<br />
to enable Kodak, in the long term, to offer high quality,<br />
biobased chemical color toners at prices equal to or less<br />
than existing petrotoners.<br />
Migration to Chemical Process Toners<br />
Historically, Mechanically Produced Toners (MPT)<br />
dominated EP (Electronic Photography) imaging from 1960<br />
to 2000. From 2000 forward, however, chemical processes<br />
for toner (CPT) manufacturing gradually replaced many<br />
MPT lines, especially for color toner production. Kodak’s<br />
announcement adds a whole new dimension to toner<br />
marketing, with a product that is:<br />
• Environmentally friendly<br />
• Equal to or lower in UMC (Unit Manufacturing Cost)<br />
than petrotoners<br />
• A drop-in replacement for petrotoners<br />
• Based upon a polylactic acid (PLA) resin<br />
• Compostable (PLA and waxes are compostable,<br />
5 % inorganic pigments are inert)<br />
• Free of styrene monomer present in styrene-acrylate<br />
toners<br />
• Free of bisphenol A (BPA) used in polyester-based<br />
toners<br />
Availability<br />
Kodak`s chemical color biotoners has become available<br />
from pilot plant operations since August 2014. Sales<br />
volume is expected to ramp up, driven by Kodak’s strategic<br />
partnerships and the fact that they can offer a near 100 %<br />
biobased product close to the cost of conventional toners.<br />
Color imaging is unquestionably the largest growth<br />
opportunity in digital printing and Kodak, well recognized<br />
for the high quality of its imaging products, plans to<br />
match the demand for color biotoners by a scale-up of<br />
manufacturing to production plant level next year. Much<br />
of that growth in demand is expected to come as a result<br />
of evolving strategic partnerships such as the one recently<br />
inked with Static Control Components (Stanford, North<br />
Carolina, USA). SCC is one of the largest suppliers of<br />
toners and machine components, with sales, warehouse<br />
and distribution facilities worldwide.<br />
Acknowledgement<br />
This article is based on a more comprehensive article<br />
previously published in Recycling Times Magazine.<br />
(Photo: shutterstock/Nyvlt-art)<br />
By:<br />
Tomas McHugh<br />
Extended Materials Business<br />
Eastman Kodak Company<br />
Rochester, New York, USA<br />
www.kodak.com<br />
(Photo: shutterstock/rawcaptured)<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/14] Vol. 9 41
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