01 | 2008
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ioplastics magazine Vol. 3 ISSN 1862-5258<br />
Special editorial Focus:<br />
End of life options<br />
Foam<br />
Situation in UK | 21<br />
Recycling of bioplastics | 24<br />
<strong>01</strong> | <strong>2008</strong>
Editorial<br />
dear readers<br />
Now, as bioplastics MAGAZINE enters its third year, we are increasing<br />
the pace. After two issues in 2006 and four issues last year, we plan<br />
to publish six issues a year from now on. These six issues will not be<br />
exactly every two moths but rather connected to certain events. For<br />
example, issue 03/<strong>2008</strong> will be published right before the interpack<br />
exhibition in Düsseldorf.<br />
Six issues a year also means that we encourage all of you to contribute<br />
articles about your latest developments, about the situation in your<br />
country, or you can even contribute to the ‘Basics‘ section, or the<br />
glossary, if you have good and helpful explanations.<br />
One of the editorial focuses in this issue is ‘foamed bioplastics’. The<br />
other focus is on ‘end-of-life scenarios’. Here I can‘t repeat often<br />
enough my (and not only my) opinion that composting is not the only<br />
and ‘non-plus-ultra’ end-of-life option. We should always look at reuse<br />
and recycling opportunities first, and then thoroughly evaluate all<br />
possible options, including incineration with energy recovery.<br />
Another topic that we will cover in more depth from now on is LCA.<br />
There are already a number of companies that have developed full<br />
Life Cycle Analyses. We will publish extracts from some of them in the<br />
coming issues.<br />
We hope you enjoy reading the first issue in <strong>2008</strong><br />
and we look forward to your comments.<br />
Michael Thielen<br />
Publisher<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 3 ISSN 1862-5258<br />
Situation in UK | 21<br />
Special editorial Focus:<br />
End of life options<br />
Foam<br />
Recycling of bioplastics | 24<br />
<strong>01</strong> | <strong>2008</strong><br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3
Content<br />
Editorial 03<br />
News 05<br />
Suppliers Guide 32<br />
Events 34<br />
January <strong>01</strong>|<strong>2008</strong><br />
Special: Foam<br />
Mater-Bi Foams,innovative, functional 08<br />
and compostable<br />
From farmer to foamer 10<br />
Odor free Polyurethane with renewable content 12<br />
PLA foams for packaging applications 14<br />
Special: End of life<br />
Materials<br />
Polyethylene - Bio-Polyethylene 26<br />
Politics<br />
Bioplastics boom in the UK 16<br />
Basics<br />
Glossary 30<br />
Recycling of Bioplastics 20<br />
Biopolymers - a discussion on 22<br />
‘End of Life’ options<br />
Impressum<br />
Publisher / Editorial<br />
Dr. Michael Thielen<br />
Samuel Brangenberg<br />
Dr. Thomas Isenburg, Contributing Editor<br />
Rosemarie Karner, Contributing Editor<br />
Layout/Production<br />
Mark Speckenbach, Jörg Neufert<br />
Head Office<br />
Polymedia Publisher GmbH<br />
Hackesstr. 99<br />
41066 Mönchengladbach, Germany<br />
phone: +49 (0)2161 664864<br />
fax: +49 (0)2161 631045<br />
info@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
Media Adviser<br />
Elke Schulte, Katrin Stein<br />
phone: +49(0)2359-2996-0<br />
fax: +49(0)2359-2996-10<br />
es@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
Print<br />
Tölkes Druck + Medien GmbH<br />
Höffgeshofweg 12<br />
47807 Krefeld, Germany<br />
Print run: 4,000 copies<br />
bioplastics magazine<br />
ISSN 1862-5258<br />
bioplastics magazine is published<br />
6 times in <strong>2008</strong>.<br />
This publication is sent to qualified<br />
subscribers (149 Euro for 6 issues).<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE is read<br />
in more than 80 countries.<br />
Not to be reproduced in any form<br />
without permission from the publisher<br />
The fact that product names may not<br />
be identified in our editorial as trade<br />
marks is not an indication that such<br />
names are not registered trade marks.<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE tries to use British<br />
spelling. However, in articles based on<br />
information from the USA, American<br />
spelling may also be used.<br />
Cover: ronen/iStockphoto<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3
Global market for biodegradable polymers<br />
News<br />
rk - According to a new technical market research report,<br />
Biodegradable Polymers (PLS025C) from BCC Research,<br />
Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA the global market for biodegradable<br />
polymers reached 246,000 tonnes in 2007. This<br />
is expected to increase to over 546,000 tonnes by 2<strong>01</strong>2, a<br />
compound average annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.3%.<br />
The market is broken down into applications of compost<br />
bags, loose-fill packaging, and other packaging, including<br />
medical/hygiene products, agricultural and paper coatings<br />
and miscellaneous (see table, in metric tonnes).<br />
Growth rates are very high because the base volumes of<br />
biodegradable polymers are still relatively low compared to<br />
petrochemical-based variants. The ‘average’ growth rate<br />
for loose-fill packaging is mainly attributable to two factors:<br />
lack of an effective infrastructure for disposal, and<br />
the popularity of air-filled plastics and other materials for<br />
cushioning in packages.<br />
The biodegradable polymer market, although commercial<br />
for over 20 years, is still very early in its product life cycle.<br />
This market is still beset with several major problems, the<br />
most important of which are relatively high prices and lack<br />
of an infrastructure for effective composting-an extremely<br />
Application<br />
critical aspect for biodegradable polymer market success.<br />
The North American biodegradable polymer market has<br />
not progressed as rapidly as in Europe, and Asia but is now<br />
beginning to show its potential. The major drivers for the<br />
U.S. market are mandated legislation and prospective increases<br />
in landfill pricing-none of which are foreseen within<br />
the next 5 years, although recent increases in petroleumbased<br />
plastics have rekindled interest in biodegradable<br />
polymers.<br />
The complete report can be ordered for $ 4,250 from BCC<br />
Research<br />
www.bccresearch.com<br />
2006 2007 2<strong>01</strong>2<br />
CARG%<br />
2007-2<strong>01</strong>2<br />
Compost Bags 78,636 110,000 266,363 19.4<br />
Loose-Fill Packaging 69,091 73,636 97,273 5.7<br />
Other Packaging (1) 23,182 36,818 105,454 23.4<br />
Miscellaneous (2) 15,000 25,455 77,727 25.0<br />
Total 185,909 245,909 546,818 17.3<br />
(1) includes medical/hygiene products, agricultural, paper coatings, etc.<br />
(2) unidentified biodegradable polymers.<br />
Green protection for sensitive goods<br />
KTM Industries, Inc., Lansing, Michigan, USA manufactures<br />
and sells Green Cell Foam, a natural, biobased material<br />
used in protective packaging for industrial and consumer<br />
applications that is biodegradable and compostable<br />
(ASTM D-6400).<br />
Originally developed at Michigan State University, KTM’s<br />
one-step, environmentally friendly extrusion process uses<br />
non-GM, high-amylose cornstarch to produce a resilient<br />
and flexible foam comparable to EPE foams in price and<br />
performance. Green Cell Foam provides unparalleled convenience<br />
at time of disposal by offering the choice of biodegrading,<br />
composting, dissolving in a sink, recycling with<br />
corrugate or sea disposal (MARPOL compliant). Green<br />
Cell Foam has been used in the market for over six years<br />
in packaging for automotive/truck/aircraft glass and parts<br />
by Volvo, Toyota and Honeywell. It is naturally anti-static,<br />
therefore perfect for electronics packaging, selected by<br />
Sony, Delphi and others.<br />
In 2007, the British Ministry of Defence specified Green<br />
Cell Foam to protect fragile and sensitive items during transit.<br />
New Green Cell Foam-based packaging has been developed<br />
and recently released to the market including wine<br />
shippers and insulated shipping coolers, both of which have<br />
passed rigorous testing for effectiveness.<br />
“With the rapid acceleration of web-based commerce and<br />
the growing global economy, Green Cell Foam is an effective<br />
way to protect goods while keeping fossil fuel-based<br />
packaging materials out of landfills, thus minimizing the<br />
environmental impact from the sheer volume of packages<br />
shipped,” says Tim Colonnese, KTM’s President and CEO.<br />
KTM also produces and sells Magic Nuudles, a natural<br />
building material made from cornstarch. Magic Nuudles<br />
is a safe, fun product sold to toy, school and craft retailers<br />
worldwide for over ten years.<br />
www.greencellfoam.com<br />
www.magicnuudles.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3
News<br />
DSM invests in<br />
‘green’ polymers<br />
from CO 2<br />
rk - DSM Venturing, Heerlen, The Netherlands, the<br />
corporate venturing unit of Royal DSM N.V., recently<br />
announced that it has made an investment in Novomer<br />
Inc..<br />
Novomer, Ithaca, New York, USA is developing a<br />
technology platform to use carbon dioxide and other<br />
renewable materials to produce performance polymers,<br />
plastics and other chemicals (see pM 04/2007).<br />
In addition to the investment DSM and Novomer<br />
also intend to sign a cooperation agreement. Both<br />
the investment and cooperation agreement will support<br />
DSM’s ambitions to develop bio-based performance<br />
polymers to meet customers’ growing needs for<br />
improved materials performance and environmental<br />
benefits at competitive costs.<br />
Furthermore, the cooperation is in line in with<br />
DSM’s increased focus on exploiting synergy between<br />
its Life Sciences and Material Sciences activities. The<br />
investment in Novomer was the 8th last year for DSM<br />
Venturing. In the recent review of Vision 2<strong>01</strong>0, DSM<br />
announced that the budget for venturing has been increased<br />
to up to 200 million Euro over the period until<br />
2<strong>01</strong>2.<br />
Babette Pettersen, Vice President New Business<br />
Development for DSM’s Performance Materials cluster:<br />
“Novomer’s synthetic catalyst chemistry approach<br />
to manufacturing offers great promise for DSM to<br />
build on our strengths in both Material Sciences and<br />
Life Sciences to accelerate the development of customized,<br />
cost-effective bio-based performance materials.<br />
The cooperation with Novomer offers DSM a<br />
valuable partnership for further developments in the<br />
field, which will be broadly applicable to both existing<br />
and potential new DSM businesses.”<br />
“Our relationship with DSM Venturing represents an<br />
important validation of Novomer’s technology. DSM<br />
gives us a major partner in the chemical industry with<br />
critical expertise in high-volume production and access<br />
to global markets,” said Charles Hamilton, president<br />
of Novomer. “In addition, our organizations share<br />
a real commitment to sustainability and innovative<br />
technology.”<br />
www.dsmventuring.com<br />
www.novomer.com<br />
Swiss chocolate at<br />
Marks & Spencer<br />
packed with Plantic<br />
rk - Last December the British retailer Marks & Spencer has<br />
introduced a new chocolate box for its swiss chocolate assortment.<br />
The new packaging material is produced by the Australian<br />
company Plantic Technologies from non-GM corn starch. The<br />
Plantic ® material meets the compostable and homecompostable<br />
European standards (EN 13432) and since recently holds the<br />
AIB-Vinçotte certification ‘OK Biodegradable Soil’.<br />
The launch of biobased chocolate packaging evolved from the<br />
retailer’s own medium term sustainability ‘Plan A‘, a 200 million £<br />
‘eco plan‘. Marks & Spencer aims to become carbon neutral<br />
by 2<strong>01</strong>2 and increase the use of sustainably sourced packaging<br />
materials.<br />
The realization under the assumption that there will be no<br />
Plan B is intended to demonstrate the company’s ambition to<br />
create higher lifestyle based on ethical trading by using e.g. environmentally<br />
friendly materials in packaging.<br />
www.marksandspencer.com, www.plantic.com.au<br />
Nokia phone with<br />
bio cover<br />
At Nokia World 2007, the company from Espoo, Finland introduced<br />
their Nokia 3110 Evolve Bio-Covers Environment-Friendly<br />
Phone. This phone is the environment-friendly version of the<br />
3110 Classic. It uses “bio-covers” made from more than 50%<br />
renewable material, which replace the normal thermoplastic<br />
materials used on other phones. The 3110 Evolve will also come<br />
in a smaller package made of 60% recycled materials and with<br />
a new efficient charger that (according to Nokia) uses 94% less<br />
energy than Energy Star requires.<br />
www.nokia.com<br />
(Photo: Nokia)<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3
News<br />
PLA-TPO blend for<br />
foam-applications<br />
PLA attracted much attention as carbon neutral thermoplastic<br />
material with a wide variety of possible applications.<br />
Japanese chemical manufacturer Toray now has<br />
developed a new class of physically cross-linked foams<br />
based on alloys of PLA and thermoplastic Polyolefins<br />
(TPO). This new class of technical foams will be available<br />
<strong>2008</strong> under Toray’s brand for eco-friendly PLA products<br />
Ecodear ® .<br />
Utilizing Toray‘s unique nano-alloy technology, PLA<br />
and TPO can now be blended successfully. Furthermore,<br />
Toray has developed a special cross-linking technology<br />
which allows PLA to be cross-linked uniformly. These<br />
technologies, together with Toray’s four decades of expertise<br />
in the manufacturing of foam products, created<br />
a new class of foam materials with excellent properties.<br />
The surface appearance and technical characteristics of<br />
Ecodear foams are comparable to conventional physically<br />
cross-linked materials. Ecodear foams can be thermoformed<br />
using various moulding processes giving them a<br />
wide variety of possible applications, mainly in the field of<br />
Automotive Interior Trim, but also with other demanding<br />
industrial applications.<br />
Toray has already introduced its Ecodear line of PLA<br />
products with its fiber, resin and film businesses. The<br />
company believes the material’s entry into the field of<br />
technical foams will add momentum to its environment-friendly<br />
advanced materials business. Toray aims<br />
to contribute to improving global environment through<br />
promotion of research and development of environmentconscious<br />
products as well as development and expansion<br />
of its business with focus on “environment, safety<br />
and amenity,” as the company stated.<br />
www.toray.com<br />
Harvest Collection full line of biodegradable and compostable<br />
foodservice ware of Genpak, LLC, NY, is made<br />
exclusively with Cereplast resin (Photo: Genpak)<br />
Cereplast expands<br />
bioplastic production<br />
capacity<br />
rk - Cereplast, Inc., Hawthorne, California, USA recently<br />
announced the location of a new facility that will<br />
add 227,000 tonnes a year to Cereplast’s bio-plastic resin<br />
production capacity when the site is fully developed by<br />
early 2<strong>01</strong>0. Operations will start at the site in January<br />
<strong>2008</strong>. In early 2<strong>01</strong>0 Cereplast will employ up to 200 fulltime<br />
staff and be the world’s largest bio-plastic resin<br />
production facility as the company reported. Production<br />
will start in an existing industrial building that is situated<br />
in Seymour, Indiana, USA on approx. 50,000 m² . Cereplast<br />
is planning to have additional buildings completed<br />
by early 2009.<br />
“After a long search we decided to settle down in Indiana<br />
for this project where we have easy access to our<br />
raw materials allowing us to reduce the carbon footprint<br />
of our operations by reducing transportation lines,” said<br />
Frederic Scheer, CEO and President of Cereplast.<br />
“As our industry grows, we find the need for flexible<br />
manufacturing solutions that allow us to meet both the<br />
current and future demand for bio-plastics,” said Scheer.<br />
“The new Indiana facility allows us to expand capacity<br />
immediately, and will enable us to keep pace with future<br />
growth. We have seen a very positive response to the introduction<br />
of the Cereplast Hybrids Resins and we believe<br />
they will become mainstream plastics.”<br />
www.cereplast.com.<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3
Foam<br />
Mater-Bi Foams,<br />
innovative,<br />
functional and<br />
compostable.<br />
Article contributed by Stefano Facco<br />
New Business Development Manager<br />
Novamont S.p.A., Novara, Italy<br />
Mater-Bi foams have been used for many years<br />
in a number of different applications, such as<br />
for fillers, sheets and blocks, for protective<br />
industrial packaging and for thermoformed trays for<br />
consumer food packaging.<br />
Industrial packaging (e.g. sheets and blocks) is<br />
based on a closed cell starch-based structure. It is a<br />
robust and resilient real alternative to PS, PU and PP.<br />
Densities range on average from 10 to 100 kg/m³, and<br />
the dynamic cushioning properties (G factor) are comparable<br />
to those of PE foam.<br />
Loose fillers are based on a similar cell structure to<br />
the one described above; they are considered a real alternative<br />
to traditional PS loose fill packaging. Resistance<br />
and cushioning properties comply with the needs<br />
of packaging for products such as pharmaceuticals,<br />
laboratory equipment, consumer goods etc. The fillers<br />
are water soluble antistatic and resilient.<br />
Recently Novamont, together with Sirap Gema, a<br />
leading Italian company operating in packaging and<br />
insulation systems, has developed a new non (water)<br />
soluble packaging solution (Ekofoam), ideal for packaging<br />
fresh produce (fruit, vegetables, etc).<br />
The expanded sheets/punnets are produced on tandem<br />
or single screw foam lines with annular dies. By<br />
introducing expanding agents (gas) into the polymer it<br />
is possible to obtain a cellular structure, reducing the<br />
final density of the sheet. The characteristics of these<br />
closed cell structure materials are as follows: Density<br />
from 80 to 120 g/l, thickness from 1,5 mm up to<br />
8 mm, and with mechanical properties comparable to<br />
expanded polyolefins.<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3
Foam<br />
The thermoformed punnet has very high protective<br />
properties (cushioning effect) and good resilience. It is<br />
approved for contact with foodstuffs, resistant to oils<br />
and water, and of course compostable in accordance<br />
with EN 13432.<br />
The specific use for packaging of fresh produce is<br />
driven by different factors:<br />
The protection and integrity of the skin is of utmost<br />
importance for the shelf life of the goods, especially<br />
when the produce is at its optimum maturity. Studies<br />
have demonstrated that in the USA almost 35% of the<br />
packaged produce deteriorates due to damaged skin<br />
(source: AIPE)<br />
Last year different trials were carried out in the UK<br />
in order to compare the cushioning effect of different<br />
punnets (XPS, rigid, EPP, board, paper pulp etc). Different<br />
aspects were evaluated, such as the side impact,<br />
base impact, rubbing and cracking , which can<br />
dramatically influence the shelf life of a product. The<br />
results clearly showed that Mater Bi / Ekofoam punnets<br />
meet the highest standard requirements for such<br />
applications. The produce is better protected from<br />
damage, which dramatically increases the final quality.<br />
Furthermore, no negative influence was registered<br />
even at high humidity levels.<br />
These new materials are perfectly suitable for use<br />
in sustainable and compostable produce packaging.<br />
They fully meet the technical requirements offered by<br />
standard commercial materials, but in addition offer<br />
the possibility of composting, either at the end of their<br />
planned life, or in cases where goods have passed<br />
their expiry date and need to be organically treated.<br />
www.novamont.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3
Foam<br />
From farmer to foamer<br />
All the comforts of foam<br />
Article contributed by Bill Brady,<br />
Corporate Affairs, Cargill Inc.,<br />
Minneapolis, MN, USA<br />
Laboratory Technologist Matt Caldwell at work in<br />
Cargill‘s BiOH polyols Research & Development Lab.<br />
Are you sitting down? Chances are – whether<br />
you’re parked on an office chair, a sofa or your<br />
bed – you’re resting on a piece of polyurethane<br />
foam. Polyurethane is just another modern miracle<br />
that makes our life easier though we hardly notice it.<br />
It is the material of choice when manufacturers look<br />
for performance and environmental responsibility in<br />
foams.<br />
A key component of polyurethane – making up about<br />
70% of its content – are polyols, made until recently exclusively<br />
from petroleum. That has started to change,<br />
thanks to advances in bio-based polyol production by<br />
companies like Cargill, the international provider of<br />
food and agricultural products and services.<br />
Sales of Cargill’s BiOH brand of soybean-based<br />
polyols are surging as polyurethane users look to diversify<br />
their supply chains and ‘green up’ their product<br />
lines. These formula changes mark the first steps<br />
away from complete reliance on petro chemicals in the<br />
$20 billion global polyurethanes industry.<br />
A polyurethane primer<br />
A polyurethane is any complex polymer resulting<br />
from the reaction of a polyol with an isocyanate. The<br />
original chemistry behind urethanes dates back to<br />
1849. Today’s polyurethane formulations cover a wide<br />
range of stiffness, hardness and densities, but in general<br />
can be broken into three broad categories:<br />
• Flexible Foams. They provide the comfortable ride in<br />
automotive seating, the restful night’s sleep in bedding<br />
and the warm and inviting atmosphere in furniture.<br />
This is by far the biggest category.<br />
• Rigid Foams, are used for insulation and a variety of<br />
other applications in construction and refrigeration.<br />
They provide the certainty your drink will stay cool<br />
inside a refrigerator or picnic cooler or your house<br />
will be warmer while using less energy.<br />
• Coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers,<br />
known collectively as the CASE market.<br />
10 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3
Jack Dai, senior application<br />
development en gineer in Cargill‘s BiOH<br />
polyols Research & Development Lab,<br />
examines a fresh piece of polyurethane<br />
foam made with BiOH polyols.<br />
Foam<br />
Until recently, the abundance and relatively low cost<br />
of petroleum derivatives encouraged rapid proliferation<br />
of petroleum-based polyols to make polyurethanes.<br />
But the sheer scale of the petroleum industry today<br />
means that capacity increases cannot be done in small<br />
increments. The industry seems to either spend in a<br />
big way or doesn’t spend much at all. In recent years it<br />
has been the latter, leading to product shortages and<br />
price escalations, which have been exacerbated by<br />
natural disasters like Katrina and Rita.<br />
“This supply uncertainty and price instability<br />
opened the door for alternatives,” said Ricardo<br />
DeGenova, technical manager for Cargill’s BiOH business.<br />
“Cargill took the challenge to develop competitive<br />
options based on natural feedstocks such as soybeans.<br />
We chose first to tackle flexible foams, the bigger and<br />
more technically challenging of the market segments.<br />
As Frank Sinatra might have put it, “if Cargill could<br />
make it there, it could make it anywhere!”<br />
Smelling out a biobased solution<br />
Leveraging the company’s extensive knowledge of<br />
oilseeds processing with innovative chemistry, Cargill<br />
managed to overcome the technical challenges that<br />
in the past had prevented their competitors from introducing<br />
biobased polyols in flexible foams: quality<br />
inconsistency, a burnt-popcorn odor and discoloration<br />
of the foam. Just how it overcomes these obstacles is<br />
proprietary, but the Cargill team was able to race from<br />
concept to commercial sales in only 26 months, lining<br />
up an impressive list of customers that include foam<br />
suppliers to the biggest names in furniture, bedding<br />
and automotive.<br />
“In addition to becoming the leading biobased polyol<br />
player in North America, we are seeing great commercial<br />
traction in Europe,” said Yusuf Wazirzada, business<br />
manager of Cargill’s BiOH product line. “We are<br />
well on our way to building a global business.”<br />
This development comes at a time when the industry<br />
landscape is changing. Both the price and supply of<br />
petroleum and natural gas are more volatile than in<br />
the past. A more responsible yet high quality feedstock<br />
that simultaneously allows manufacturers to diversify<br />
raw material sources is proving to be a ‘two-fer’ too<br />
good to pass up.<br />
What makes Cargill uniquely qualified to serve this<br />
market? Start with the fact that the $88 billion privately<br />
held company has more than 140 years of accumulated<br />
agricultural know-how. This gives it a big advantage<br />
in creating solutions from things that grow.<br />
Moreover, unlike its petrochemical competitors,<br />
Cargill will not be cannibalizing its existing products in<br />
developing renewably based chemistries. Thus Cargill<br />
has the right incentives to be a long-term supplier to<br />
the industry and with the ability to reliably handle global<br />
demand.<br />
Cargill’s first generation of BiOH products is considered<br />
a first step in a journey that will lead to increasingly<br />
higher levels of biobased polyols in foams, and an<br />
increasingly wider variety of polyurethane applications<br />
beyond foam on the horizon. Such commitment is<br />
manifested in Cargill’s significant capital investments,<br />
including a new Polyols Research & Development<br />
Center inaugurated in the U.S. last July. The facility<br />
has full capabilities for product synthesis, analytical<br />
chemistry, application development and foam production<br />
prototyping.<br />
These capabilities will significantly enhance the<br />
company’s ability to quickly bring new products and<br />
applications to market. “There is no other bio-based<br />
polyol supplier with comparable capability to connect<br />
the farmer to the foamer, as Ricardo DeGenova puts<br />
it.<br />
www.cargill.com<br />
www.BiOH.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3 11
Foam<br />
Soy beans<br />
Odor free Polyurethane<br />
Yet another two suppliers offer<br />
The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan,<br />
USA recently introduced RENUVA Renewable<br />
Resource Technology, a proprietary process that<br />
helps polyurethane manufacturers make products that<br />
are performance-based and reduce the impact on the<br />
environment. Distinct in the chemical industry, RENUVA<br />
technology is used to produce bio-based polyols with<br />
high renewable content in the finished product with performance<br />
that rivals petroleum-based polyols.<br />
Dow’s work on natural oil-based polyols, which began<br />
in the early 1990s, culminates with this next-generation<br />
technology, producing bio-based polyols that are virtually<br />
odor-free and can be customized to deliver enhanced<br />
performance benefits in a broad array of applications.<br />
Polyols made with RENUVA technology will help manufacturers<br />
of commercial and consumer products in the<br />
furniture and bedding, automotive, carpet and CASE<br />
(coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers) markets<br />
to more effectively differentiate themselves and meet<br />
their customers’ growing demand for finished products<br />
that are both high quality and environmentally sound.<br />
“Dow Polyurethane’s leadership in the development of<br />
renewable resource technology is yet another example<br />
of how our Performance businesses continue to create<br />
value for customers as well as long-term growth opportunities<br />
for the Company,” says Doug Warner, global<br />
business director for Dow Polyols. “For Dow, RENUVA<br />
technology provides an opportunity to decrease dependence<br />
on petroleum-based feedstocks. For our customers,<br />
it allows them to create ‘green’ products that contain<br />
high levels of renewable content while at the same time<br />
delivering the performance their customers want.”<br />
According to life cycle analysis, RENUVA technology<br />
uses up to 60 % fewer fossil fuel resources than conventional<br />
polyol technology. Polyols based on RENUVA technology<br />
are designed not to have the odor that plagued<br />
previous generations of bio-based polyols, which has<br />
been a significant obstacle to commercial acceptance.<br />
Dow’s proprietary process, which reacts the brokendown<br />
and functionalized soybean oil molecule with traditional<br />
polyurethane components, creates natural oilbased<br />
polyols with consistent performance.<br />
“We’ve applied our 50-year expertise in polyurethane<br />
chemistry to engineer the natural oil-based polyol’s<br />
molecular structure and address the root cause of performance<br />
issues associated with other bio-based polyols,”<br />
says Erin O’Driscoll, business development manager,<br />
Dow Polyurethanes. “In the past, higher levels of<br />
renewable content were synonymous with unpleasant<br />
odor. Our natural oil-based polyols boast enhanced environmental<br />
profile without the typical odor problems.<br />
We are also working with our customers to design natural<br />
oil-based polyols based on their particular performance<br />
needs in end-use applications.<br />
“Polyol solutions based on RENUVA technology support<br />
Dow’s strategy to grow and develop differentiated,<br />
tailor-made performance products that promote our<br />
customers’ success while reducing environmental impact<br />
through technical innovation and industry collaboration,”<br />
O’Driscoll says.<br />
Commercial quantities of natural oil-based polyols<br />
are available now. Dow’s market development capabilities<br />
in Houston, Texas, will serve North America, Latin<br />
America and Europe with the ability to expand production<br />
to meet demand. Initial offerings are from soybean<br />
oil, but Dow will continue to invest in exploring other<br />
vegetable oil options for polyols.<br />
www.dowrenuva.com.<br />
12 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3
Castor oil<br />
DMC<br />
O<br />
O<br />
PO/EO OH<br />
Foam<br />
O<br />
DMC:<br />
Double-metal cyanide<br />
catalysis<br />
Neutral<br />
No saponification<br />
No formation of the<br />
ring of ricinoleic acid<br />
Low in odors<br />
Castor oil polyols: Synthesis with DMC (BASF patent)<br />
(Picture: Elastogran)<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
PO/EO OH<br />
PO/EO OH<br />
Odor!<br />
Castor oil seeds, (Photo: Elastogran)<br />
with renewable content<br />
polyols with biobased content<br />
Elastogran GmbH, Lemförde, Germany (a company<br />
of the BASF Group) too recently launched a<br />
new polyol on the basis of a renewable raw material.<br />
Lupranol ® BALANCE 50 is made of castor oil and<br />
offers the decisive advantage that, as a so-called dropin,<br />
it can replace conventional polyols directly without<br />
a change to the formulation. At the same time, a large<br />
portion of biomass is incorporated into the finished<br />
product. Polyetherols constitute the main component of<br />
polyurethane flexible foams. One possible application is<br />
mattresses (see pM 04/2007).<br />
Polyetherols are manufactured through the polyaddition<br />
of propylene and/or ethylene oxide to higher-functional<br />
alcohols such as glycerine. Normally, this polyaddition<br />
is carried out under alkaline conditions with<br />
potassium hydroxide serving as the catalyst. Following<br />
the polymerization, the polyol then has to be neutralized<br />
in another step by adding acid.<br />
For quite some time now, the polyurethane developers<br />
at Elastogran have been studying a new class of<br />
catalysts, the so-called double-metal cyanide (DMC)<br />
catalysts. They are far more reactive than potassium<br />
hydroxide. Just the slightest traces of this catalyst are<br />
already sufficient to trigger the reaction between castor<br />
oil and ethylene or propylene oxide. The decisive advantage<br />
lies in the fact that the catalyst is neutral, preventing<br />
saponification of the oil, so that no odor-intense<br />
by-products are formed such as, for instance, the ring<br />
of ricinoleic acid. Experiments to date aimed at making<br />
use of renewable raw materials in the production of<br />
polyols using alkaline catalysts did not meet with success,<br />
primarily due to this odor problem.<br />
formulations, which allows customers to change over<br />
to the renewable product quickly and cost-effectively.<br />
Like all of Elastogran‘s flexible foam polyols, Lupranol<br />
BALANCE is provided with an amine-free antioxidant<br />
package.<br />
Good mechanical properties with excellent<br />
certification rating<br />
Many requirements are made of polyurethanes in objects<br />
of daily use. In addition to high mechanical strength,<br />
ageing resistance and breathability, it is also important<br />
for the material to earn product classifications such as<br />
‘tested for harmful substances’ and ‘Oeko-Tex’. The limit<br />
value as set forth in the German ‘LGA tested for harmful<br />
substances’ test certificate for mattresses is 500 µg/m³<br />
in measurements taken over the course of seven days.<br />
This testing revealed the outstanding value of less than<br />
10 µg/m³ for the polyol-generated levels from a flexible<br />
slabstock foam on the basis of Lupranol BALANCE 50.<br />
The evaluation of the odor of the foam after storage in a<br />
test chamber yielded a value of 2.1, likewise an excellent<br />
result. These measurements were made by the Industrial<br />
Institute of the State of Bavaria (LGA), Germany, in<br />
a chamber test for mattresses employing a combination<br />
of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry that is<br />
capable of detecting even minute quantities. And when<br />
it came to the mechanical values of this foam made of<br />
the new polyol, the good properties of the standard variant<br />
were matched.<br />
www.elastogran.de<br />
The new polyol can be foamed analogously to standard<br />
flexible slabstock foam polyols. There is practically<br />
no need to make changes to the existing slabstock foam<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3 13
Foam<br />
PLA foams for<br />
packaging applications<br />
Article contributed by Cesare Vannini,<br />
Packaging System R&D<br />
Coopbox Europe SpA,<br />
Reggio Emilia, Italy<br />
Foams are very common material structures. Wood has a<br />
foam structure, bones are also foams, bread is a foam,<br />
and many other natural materials are foams. Why? The<br />
reason is clear: a foam is a simple way to obtain a structure with<br />
good mechanical properties and low weight. The prime property<br />
of foam is weight reduction. This characteristic is very important<br />
in packaging applications where foams are used to produce<br />
trays, cups, containers, boxes, etc. In all of these products the<br />
weight reduction is between 30 and 50% compared with alternative<br />
rigid materials.<br />
Many retailers have stated their intention to reduce the total<br />
amount of packaging used in their stores, and so a foam seems<br />
the right solution for rigid food packaging applications, independently<br />
of the plastic material selected.<br />
Coopbox is a major producer of foam food packaging, and<br />
has developed this activity within the growing retail industry as<br />
a privileged partner at national and European level for the production<br />
of polystyrene trays.<br />
Today Coopbox, by focusing on the clients‘ needs and on service<br />
and product innovation, has developed a deep understanding<br />
of fresh food packaging systems with different materials: PS,<br />
PET, and recently PLA. Each of these different polymers permits<br />
us to produce packaging systems with specific characteristics:<br />
• NATURALBOX ® with PLA: packaging systems using only<br />
renewable resource that comply with European standard<br />
EN13432 for compostable packaging.<br />
• DRYMAX ® PS: an open cell foam structure for absorbing liquid<br />
in fresh meat and fish packaging<br />
• AERPACK ® PS: foam barrier trays for fresh meat and fish<br />
• DOT ® : crystallised PET foam for heat resistant containers in<br />
ready meals packaging<br />
All of these different materials are processed on a tandem<br />
extruder using different physical foaming gases such as nitrogen<br />
or butane, depending on the required behaviour of the final<br />
package. Specific tooling design and modifications are necessary,<br />
especially for low melt strength materials such as PET or<br />
PLA where the semicrystalline properties require perfect temperature<br />
control to avoid the formation of gels during the extrusion<br />
process.<br />
14 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3
Foam<br />
An interesting additional performance characteristic<br />
of ‘open-cell‘ foamed trays is the possibility<br />
to absorb liquids. The open-cell structure<br />
allows the foam to absorb the liquids released<br />
by certain foods such as meat or fish, thus maintaining<br />
the pack in a clean condition and increasing<br />
the aesthetics and freshness of the food. This<br />
innovation, introduced at the beginning of the<br />
1990s, completely changed fresh meat packaging<br />
because a tray with absorbent properties<br />
avoids the use of traditional absorption pads.<br />
Coopbox is working to improve the performance<br />
of the Naturalbox PLA tray to obtain an absorption<br />
performance comparable with traditional<br />
XPS absorbent trays.<br />
The barrier properties of PLA are somewhere<br />
between PET and PP, two of the standard materials<br />
used to pack fresh meat in a protective<br />
atmosphere.<br />
The most recent innovation from Coopbox is<br />
foamed Naturalbox PLA trays, top-sealed with<br />
PLA-film. This is another example of the successful<br />
application of biodegradable materials<br />
for fresh meat packaging in a protective atmosphere.<br />
Naturalbox trays are made of foamed Nature-<br />
Works ® PLA, laminated with PLA film to guarantee<br />
airtight sealing. The top film is standard<br />
PLA, or is coated with SiOx to guarantee a better<br />
barrier performance. The complete packaging<br />
system is perfectly water and humidity resistant,<br />
with good mechanical properties. The top film is<br />
highly transparent and (unless coated with SiOx)<br />
offers natural antifog properties.<br />
If the packaged meat has a significant drip loss<br />
a biodegradable absorbent pad can be placed inside<br />
the trays to absorb the liquid that is released<br />
and maintain the pack in a clean condition.<br />
www.coopbox.it<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3 15
Politics<br />
Bioplastics<br />
boom in<br />
the UK<br />
Article contributed by<br />
Andy Sweetman<br />
Market Development Manager<br />
Innovia Films Ltd, Cumbria, UK<br />
Whilst the first examples of biodegradable and compostable<br />
packaging started to appear on UK supermarket<br />
shelves as far back as 20<strong>01</strong>, there has been a<br />
very marked increase over the past two years, with most of the<br />
UK’s major retailers introducing certified compostable packaging,<br />
generally starting with either Organic Fresh Produce applications<br />
or other short shelf-life products such as the classic<br />
British triangle-shaped sandwich!.<br />
Traditionally the UK has been behind much of the rest of Europe<br />
in many aspects of waste management, so how is it that<br />
the UK is now seen by many as a major driving force behind the<br />
introduction of compostable and renewable packaging?<br />
Market Drivers<br />
Three years ago virtually nobody had heard the expression<br />
‘Carbon footprint’, but suddenly Climate Change is understood<br />
by many to be one of the principal challenges, perhaps even the<br />
greatest challenge that the human-race will face going forward.<br />
Media focus on the environment, both written and audio-visual,<br />
has increased dramatically, and packaging in particular has a<br />
major ‘image problem’.<br />
Now its war on packaging! screamed the front page of the Independent<br />
newspaper in April last year. The Daily Mail, Daily Express<br />
and Sun newspapers have all dedicated pages and pages<br />
last year to examples of ‘unnecessary’ or ‘over’ packaging in the<br />
UK supermarkets. Environmental Pressure groups have targeted<br />
the same subject, and even that long-standing British institution<br />
the Women’s Institute, normally better known for organising local<br />
fundraising events, talks and cream-teas, have been running<br />
a national anti-packaging campaign to great effect over recent<br />
months…<br />
Packaging has three major problems in this regard:<br />
• Producers, food packers and the retail chains understand that<br />
packaging reduces waste, increases shelf-life, aids transportation<br />
and ensures product identification. But consumers<br />
don’t… All they see is too much of it, something which they feel<br />
is designed to sell the product rather than protect it, and then<br />
as soon as they remove it, its just rubbish!<br />
• There are undoubtedly examples of over-packaging in the<br />
market. How can one justify four pears being packed with individual<br />
stickers on each pear, a foam thermoformed base,<br />
transparent thermoformed lid, the whole pack then shrinkwrapped,<br />
and finally additional labels on the front and base of<br />
the pack? …and yet this pack can be found on the shelves of a<br />
major UK retailer…<br />
• Visible volume. Plastic packaging only represents some 5%<br />
by weight of household waste, but it looks to consumers like<br />
there’s so much more…<br />
16 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3
Politics<br />
The Recycling Revolution<br />
Compared to the leading mainland European countries,<br />
The UK’s recycling rates are poor. However the<br />
UK is in the midst of a recycling revolution.<br />
Household recycling stood at a pitiful 7% in 1997!<br />
By 2006/07 however, it has reached 31%, and the<br />
leading local authorities are now recycling over 50%.<br />
Moreover, far from resenting the idea of sorting their<br />
rubbish for recycling, the majority of UK consumers<br />
are embracing the concept. For example, Until three<br />
years ago, the city of Carlisle had no ‘kerbside recycling’<br />
scheme. Step by step they have introduced kerbside<br />
collection of householder sorted recyclable waste<br />
so that by the summer of 2007 the following was in<br />
place for alternate weekly collection:<br />
• All rigid plastic containers & bottles<br />
• Paper<br />
• Metals<br />
• Garden waste<br />
• Cartonboard<br />
• Glass<br />
Not surprisingly Carlisle is now one of the ‘leading<br />
lights’ in UK recycling reaching 52% recycling of<br />
household waste this year…<br />
Driven by the need to meet increasingly stringent<br />
recycling and composting targets, most of the local<br />
authorities in the UK now operate separate collections<br />
of garden waste. Whilst the dominant collection<br />
receptacle for garden waste is wheeled-bins, a growing<br />
number of local authorities provide residents with<br />
compostable sacks either instead of bins or as a supplementary<br />
service.<br />
The area of biowaste management which is seeing<br />
the greatest level of growth in recent times is separate<br />
food waste collection. There are now nearly 50<br />
different food waste schemes running across the UK<br />
most of which are proving very popular. However, the<br />
major limiting factor for food waste schemes is the<br />
‘yuk‘ factor whereby residents stop using the service<br />
as soon as their bins start to smell – in some areas<br />
participation is as low as 25%. The most successful<br />
schemes, where participation can be as high as 90%,<br />
all avoid this ‘yuk‘ factor by providing residents with<br />
annual supplies of compostable kitchen caddy liners.<br />
For example, South Shropshire District Council not<br />
only provide compostable bags for food waste and gar-<br />
den waste but a partnership of local traders has also<br />
switched to using Mater-Bi ® compostable carrier bags<br />
which are clearly branded and fully accepted for their<br />
food waste collection scheme.<br />
The Retailer and Packers’ role<br />
The majority of UK retailers met in London in 2005 to<br />
agree an action plan to reduce packaging waste, leading<br />
to the so-called Courtauld agreement (named after<br />
the Courtauld gallery, where the meeting took place).<br />
Since then a steadily increasing number of well-known<br />
brand-owners have also signed up to the scheme. (See<br />
the Wrap website for further details).<br />
Fundamentally the British tend to shop in supermarkets<br />
or other large well-established retailers. The<br />
13 original signatories of the Courtauld commitment<br />
represented >90% of the UK Grocery market! They are<br />
therefore a potentially huge driving force for positive<br />
change, and the UK retail market is extremely dynamic<br />
and fast-moving.<br />
Whilst the Courtauld commitment largely seeks to<br />
reduce unnecessary packaging and waste, a number<br />
of retailers have gone a step further, by switching suitable<br />
product lines to compostable and/or renewable<br />
packaging materials.<br />
Different retail chains have taken different approaches<br />
as illustrated by two of the companies driving<br />
the move:<br />
Sainsbury’s have put the accent on compostable<br />
materials and in particular materials known to be<br />
suitable for home-composting. They have started with<br />
a strong focus in the organic Fresh Produce arena.<br />
Flow-wrapping of whole produce such as tomatoes,<br />
peppers, courgettes is most likely to use a tray made<br />
from sugar-cane wrapped in Innovia’s NatureFlex<br />
film. Heavier products such as apples or carrots, requiring<br />
high seal strength and or tear-resistance are<br />
typically packed using film blown from Novamont’s<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3 17
Politics<br />
Mater-Bi starch-based material. These packs now show<br />
the famous ‘Seedling’ logo, with conversion carried out by<br />
printers such as Natura A.S.P. Packaging, Amcor Flexibles<br />
& Paragon Flexibles.<br />
Marks and Spencer, who have gained prominence in<br />
the whole environmental debate through the introduction<br />
of their ‘Plan A’ scheme, (whereby they aim to be carbon<br />
neutral by 2<strong>01</strong>2, and for no packaging to landfill before that<br />
date) have focused more on the drive for sustainability &<br />
renewability rather than compostability. Materials such as<br />
metallised NatureFlex (twistwrap & board lamination applications)<br />
and transparent PLA (flexible film in sandwich<br />
box windows, and rigid trays for delicatessen products<br />
such as prepared salads) can be found in store at M&S.<br />
Other retailers have followed with similar introductions<br />
and Morrisons, Tesco, Waitrose & Co-op have all introduced<br />
their first product lines. All indications are that further<br />
retail lines will follow in <strong>2008</strong>.<br />
Increasing technical capabilities<br />
Until 2007 most Bioplastics applications in the UK were<br />
either rigid trays, unprinted or simple motifs on singleweb<br />
flexible films. 2007 saw the introduction of higher levels<br />
of specification. For instance the starch based films,<br />
which typically provide only limited levels of transparency<br />
are now printed with much more developed graphic designs.<br />
Late 2007 saw a major technical breakthrough with the<br />
launch of Jordan’s organic Muesli and Granola lines. Converted<br />
by Alcan Packaging these packs use a ‘bio-laminate’<br />
structure. A reverse-printed transparent Nature-<br />
Flex film replaces conventional PET or OPP films for the<br />
outer ply which provides heat-resistance, barrier and dimensional<br />
stability properties. A film manufactured from<br />
Mater Bi is laminated to the NatureFlex and replaces the<br />
conventional PE film used on the inside of the pack. This<br />
film provides the required mechanical strength, tear-resistance<br />
and integral sealing properties. The structure is<br />
expected shortly to become the first certified compostable<br />
laminate solution in the market and earned Alcan the<br />
2007 Bioplastics award for best packaging application.<br />
Marrying the properties of two totally different materials<br />
is standard practice in flexible packaging today, but this is<br />
the first example of its use on a branded product in a ‘bio’<br />
format. Looking to the future, such concepts should allow<br />
biomaterials to extend their use beyond the short-shelf<br />
life & fresh produce categories into a much wider range of<br />
applications, in the UK and beyond...<br />
(Note: All figures quoted are from the Defra website)<br />
www.innoviafilms.com<br />
www.wrap.org.uk<br />
www.defra.gov.uk<br />
18 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3
ioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3 19
End of life<br />
Recycled bioplastic film<br />
Recycling of<br />
Bioplastics<br />
When talking about end-of-life options for bioplastics,<br />
composting is very often the first<br />
solution to be mentioned. And even with the<br />
increased discussion of incineration and energy recovery<br />
as being perhaps a better solution, we should not<br />
forget that re-use and recycling are end-of-life options,<br />
or steps in an end-of-life scenario that should be exploited<br />
wherever possible.<br />
And recycling of bioplastics materials is possible,<br />
albeit not always easy.<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE spoke with Klaus Feichtinger,<br />
General Manager at EREMA Engineering Recycling<br />
Maschinen und Anlagen Ges.m.b.H. in Ansfelden,<br />
Austria.<br />
bM: Mr. Feichtinger, Erema is world renowned for its<br />
recycling technology for conventional thermoplastics. But<br />
what about bioplastics?<br />
Feichtinger: We have indeed extensive experience<br />
with bioplastics, both from laboratory tests and from<br />
real recycling tasks with customers. These include<br />
blown films, cast films and even BO (biaxially oriented)<br />
films made of modified starch, PLA, or fossil-based<br />
biodegradable polymers. We have tested, for example,<br />
quite a few different Mater-Bi films, Ecoflex films and<br />
different mixtures.<br />
bM: What kind of machinery was applied to carry out<br />
these recyling tasks?<br />
Klaus Feichtinger<br />
Feichtinger: Basically our existing machines can be<br />
used without modifications. However, temperature and<br />
pressure conditions have to be adapted to the requirements<br />
of the different materials. For films without printing<br />
we suggest the Classic Erema System with cutter/<br />
compactor, and single screw extruder without degassing.<br />
bM: But many films used today are printed ...<br />
Feichtinger: For films with extensive printing a different<br />
degassing screw design has to be chosen. For good<br />
degassing a sufficient pressure gradient is needed. On<br />
the other hand the screw design has to meet the temperature<br />
requirements in order to to avoid thermal degradation.<br />
Also important in this respect is the type of<br />
pigment carrier used in the printing inks. Many known<br />
20 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3
End of life<br />
carriers need higher temperatures in the recycling step,<br />
so for better recyclability the choice of pigments also<br />
might be important.<br />
bM: What about the recycling of PLA?<br />
Feichtinger: In the field of PLA our current experience<br />
basically covers two applications. The first is BO-PLA (bioriented<br />
PLA films). The edge trim, where the stretching<br />
clips are attached to the film, is thick enough to be<br />
directly fed back into the extruder. The slitter waste (cut<br />
off the final film), however is very thin, so that it cannot<br />
be fed directly into an extruder. Here our Classic Erema<br />
can be applied. There is, for example, one big production<br />
line for BO-PLA in France which is a modified BO-<br />
PP line. The Classic Erema that was initially supplied<br />
for the BO-PP production was later slightly modified to<br />
process BO-PLA with adapted process parameters.<br />
bM: And the second field of PLA applications ... ?<br />
Feichtinger: ... is cast film, for instance for thermoforming<br />
applications such as blister or clamshell packaging,<br />
or drinking cups. At 150 to 1000 µm this film is<br />
rather thick. The in-house production waste that has to<br />
be recycled is, for example, startup-waste, slitter waste<br />
or scrap webs. This waste material, be it PP, PS, ... PLA<br />
or whatever is used, is usually ground and fed back into<br />
the extruder.<br />
Now the trend is generally towards thinner wall<br />
thickenesses. If these thinner films are reground the<br />
bulk density decreases and the variation in bulk density<br />
increases which makes it diffcult to feed it back into the<br />
extruder. This thin-walled secondary material should<br />
be regranulated in an intermediate step in order to increase<br />
the bulk density.<br />
bM: And what kind of equipment is used here?<br />
Feichtinger: Well, PLA as well as PET is hygroscopic,<br />
which means it absorbs moisture. If a single screw extruder<br />
is used for recycling, these materials have to be<br />
pre-dried and pre-crystallized, which is difficult for PLA<br />
with its low glass transition temperature. Drying needs<br />
a long time and the material becomes sticky.<br />
Recycling with a twin-srew extruder still needs predrying.<br />
Especially with lower wall thicknesses the twin<br />
screw process also becomes more and more difficult<br />
due to the bulk density.<br />
Our VACUREMA process however is ideal for the recycling<br />
of PET as well as PLA material. Great variations<br />
in bulk densitiy can be processed and, thanks to the applied<br />
vacuum, even without pre-drying and pre-crystallization.<br />
bM: I assume that everything you just said about cast<br />
film and thermoformed applications is also true for PLA<br />
bottles?<br />
Feichtinger: Today I don‘t even think about PLA bottles.<br />
Even in the range of a few ppm, PLA would contaminate<br />
the PET recycling stream. We are happy that PVC<br />
is almost ‘extinct’ - at least in Europe. And now PLA ...<br />
bM: But if one day enough PLA bottles can be collected ...<br />
Feichtinger: If once there are enough PLA bottles and<br />
these are collected totally separately, the same recycling<br />
technology as mentioned before could be applied<br />
to PLA bottles. But until a significant critical mass can<br />
be reached for an economical PLA recycling I have the<br />
greatest concerns about PLA bottles and their potential<br />
to contaminate the PET recycling stream. Maybe a different<br />
end-of-life option for PLA bottles should be used,<br />
such as composting where possible, or incineration with<br />
energy recovery.<br />
bM: Thank you very much, Mr. Feichtinger.<br />
www.erema.at<br />
VACUREMA<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3 21
End of life<br />
Biopolymers - a discussion<br />
Defining the problems<br />
Composting<br />
Incineration<br />
Land-fill<br />
Biopolymer product<br />
Bio-gases<br />
Recycling<br />
???<br />
Article contributed by<br />
Hans-Josef Endres,<br />
Department of Bio Process Engineering<br />
University of Applied Sciences and Arts,<br />
Hanover, Germany<br />
Andrea Siebert, Scientific assistant,<br />
Department of Bio-Process Engineering,<br />
University of Applied Sciences and Arts<br />
Hanover, Germany<br />
Ann-Sophie Kitzler,<br />
Quality assurance and control<br />
Achilles Papierveredelung Celle GmbH<br />
In recent years there has been a steadily increasing<br />
market demand for biopolymers as alternative packaging<br />
materials. In parallel with the volatile but also<br />
steadily increasing price of crude oil there is a growing<br />
environmental awareness among politicians and consumers.<br />
With the general trend towards organically<br />
grown food and the use of natural and organic ingredients<br />
in personal care products it is also important<br />
to be aware of the way these products are packaged,<br />
and of the consumer‘s desire for a totally ecologicallyfriendly<br />
product. However, for an objective evaluation<br />
of the ecological potential of biopolymer packaging<br />
materials there are points to consider other than the<br />
simple use of biogenous polymers and/or the energy<br />
expended in its manufacture. When developing a life<br />
cycle analysis the potential for ecologically-friendly<br />
disposal of the material is also a decisive factor. Until<br />
now it was always compostability that was uppermost<br />
in the mind when considering biopolymer packaging<br />
materials. However a certificate of compostability does<br />
not automatically mean ecologically and economically<br />
satisfactory disposal of the biopolymer or the products<br />
based upon it. The example of PLA bottles in the PET<br />
recycling stream shows how, in general, a different approach<br />
to the end-of-life options needs to be taken for<br />
biopolymers. In many cases technical questions, such<br />
as that of recycling, have still not been fully answered,<br />
or the infrastructure for disposal of biopolymers is still<br />
inadequate.<br />
Therefore in this article we shall carry out a fundamental<br />
review of the different technical end-of-life options<br />
for biopolymers. Using the situation in Germany<br />
as an example we will look at the legislative framework,<br />
where the possibilities for the disposal of biopolymers<br />
are still given only rudimentary consideration.<br />
Recycling<br />
When considering the different end-of-life options<br />
the first thing that springs to mind is classic recycling.<br />
22 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3
End of life<br />
on „End of Life“ options<br />
There is, however, limited experience available in the<br />
field of thermoplastic biopolymers. Nevertheless similar<br />
problems to those encountered in the recycling of<br />
conventional thermoplastic materials can be expected.<br />
Because of their generally lower thermo-mechanical<br />
and chemical resistance we can assume an increased<br />
level of ‘downcycling’. Polymers such as PLA, for example,<br />
during recycling, exhibit a clear molecular<br />
breakdown. Furthermore there is a lack of compatibility<br />
between different types of biopolymer, and in<br />
particular in combination with conventional polymers.<br />
Recent research points to a ‘contamination’ of established<br />
reclamation processes, such as the significant<br />
negative impact that small amounts of PLA have on<br />
the properties of PET recyclate when it finds its way<br />
into the recycling process.<br />
Composting<br />
An alternative to classic recycling (although only for<br />
suitably certified materials) is composting. Most certificates<br />
however cover only the suitability of the material<br />
for industrial composting. This cannot be compared<br />
to complete biodegradability in a home compost<br />
heap. This means that all the certified compostable biopolymers<br />
available up until now on the market, after<br />
thorough investigation, exhibit good primary and secondary<br />
breakdown under industrial composting conditions,<br />
but there is often a lack of suitable composting<br />
facilities and infrastructure.<br />
The need for a separate collection, sorting and<br />
transport system presents a logistical, economic and,<br />
principally, an ecological problem because of the additional<br />
energy that has to be expended in transportation,<br />
thus having a negative impact on the overall<br />
eco-balance of biopolymers. It follows that composting<br />
is a sensible option only where, in addition to the<br />
extra expense with no technical benefits, it also offers<br />
an additional functional advantage such as is offered<br />
by agricultural film (e.g. mulch film), which the farmer<br />
does not have to collect or dispose of after use. It is<br />
simply ploughed in.<br />
In Germany for example certified compostable biopolymers<br />
are given preferential treatment with respect<br />
to waste disposal taxes. Until 2<strong>01</strong>2 they are exempt<br />
from the German packaging ordinance, which<br />
means a saving of about 1.5 Euros per kilogram in<br />
‘Green Dot’ packaging waste taxes.<br />
On the other side, there is in Germany legislation<br />
approving the use of fertilisers ‘produced only from<br />
biologically degradable products from renewable resources<br />
and waste materials generated during their<br />
manufacture’. This currently means that most biopolymers,<br />
despite their certified compostabilty, cannot be<br />
put into an industrial composting plant because input<br />
is restricted to materials that are 100% bio-based. A<br />
modification of the relevant fertiliser legislation is currently<br />
under discussion but there is no concrete conclusion<br />
in sight.<br />
Incineration<br />
Incineration of biopolymers appears to be a much<br />
more reasonable option. In addition to the energy recovery<br />
there is the advantage that biopolymers are<br />
almost CO 2 neutral when they are burnt. During combustion<br />
a carbon atom produces exactly the same<br />
amount of CO 2 as during composting, but incineration<br />
has an added benefit, whereas composting mainly represents<br />
added expense.<br />
The ‘bio-compatible composition’ of biopolymers<br />
also means that they have less potential to produce<br />
noxious substances in the combustion gases. However<br />
it is important that the use of possibly unknown<br />
biopolymer additives is taken into due consideration,<br />
especially in view of the increased future development<br />
of biopolymer materials.<br />
However, at the moment we have almost no practical<br />
experience of the combustion behaviour of biopolymers,<br />
such as their calorific value, ash softening,<br />
emissions etc. It can however be assumed that with<br />
biopolymers the high heteroatom content, in particular<br />
oxygen in place of carbon, will lead to an optimised<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3 23
End of life<br />
• The redistribution or conversion of<br />
matter (mixing, wear, emission, waste…)<br />
as well as the energy created, are taken<br />
into account when considering entropy<br />
generation over a full life-cycle.<br />
• Entropy efficiency<br />
= benefits obtained/entropy production<br />
Information<br />
Primary raw materials<br />
(Plants, iron ore, petroleum)<br />
Energy, sources of energy<br />
(water power, petroleum)<br />
CO 2<br />
=<br />
Benefits<br />
E<br />
Σ ΔS i<br />
i=A<br />
• The higher the entropy efficiency<br />
the higher the sustainability<br />
Raw material<br />
(iron, ethylene,<br />
cellulose, starch,...)<br />
A<br />
Pyrolysis<br />
Recycling<br />
Incineration<br />
E<br />
Waste, Scrap<br />
Composting<br />
Land fill<br />
Production material<br />
(steel, plastics,<br />
ceramics)<br />
W<br />
Manufacturing<br />
(buildings, machines,<br />
components, packaging,<br />
products)<br />
K<br />
V<br />
G<br />
Consumption<br />
Wear, Failure<br />
reaction rate of combustion but at the same time to a<br />
reduction in calorific value similar to that seen in petrochemical<br />
plastics. The calorific value will however<br />
probably be well above that of wood and below that of<br />
petroleum.<br />
In this way biopolymers can also partially substitute<br />
biofuels after their ‘first life’ and create a higher added<br />
value from agriculture raw materials.<br />
Bio-gas production<br />
Until now there has been almost no consideration<br />
of the production of biogas as a way of disposing of<br />
biopolymers. Based on the fact that a normal biogas<br />
plant produces gas in several stages under anaerobic<br />
conditions using organic substrates, an efficient<br />
biogas production from compostable biopolymers<br />
seems quite possible. Alongside the energy reclamation<br />
when the biogas is burned there is the added advantage<br />
of joint disposal of the packaging and its food<br />
contents. Any food products that have passed their<br />
expiry date, rejects, or excess production, can be processed<br />
together with their packaging and without the<br />
expense of mechanical separation. But once again no<br />
real practical figures have been obtained regarding<br />
the conversion of compostable biopolymers in a biogas<br />
plant (e.g. temperature, pH value, micro-organisms<br />
present, degradation behaviour under anaerobic,<br />
aquatic conditions…) or the relevant process parameters<br />
(e.g. density of material flow, dwell time, gas<br />
composition or yield).<br />
In Germany the production of biogas and its subsequent<br />
conversion to electrical energy is supported by<br />
the so-called Renewable Energy Act (EEG). If, alongside<br />
farmyard slurry, only materials coming from renewable<br />
resources are used as a co-substrate the producer<br />
receives an additional bonus of about 6 Euro Cents per<br />
kWh of electrical power produced from the biogas. In<br />
addition to investigating the technical feasibility of using<br />
biopolymers it will also be necessary to ascertain<br />
how, in the future, biopolymers containing varying levels<br />
of renewable resources will be assessed.<br />
Land-fill<br />
Finally, the last of the disposal options, i.e. ‘simple’<br />
dumping in a landfill site, must be considered. Following<br />
the latest waste disposal legislation in Germany<br />
household waste may only be deposited in a landfill<br />
site when the percentage of dry organic substances is<br />
less than 5% by weight. In addition the biological activity<br />
in a land-fill site which produces environmentally<br />
damaging gases by anaerobic decomposition, including<br />
that from biopolymers, is a negative factor. It is,<br />
depending on the landfill structure, possible to render<br />
the methane gas harmless by burning it, and to use<br />
the energy so generated, but the longer the dwell time<br />
in the dump the lower the methane content becomes<br />
and so this is an economical solution only in the early<br />
stages.<br />
24 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3
End of life<br />
The outlook<br />
In an ecological evaluation of the different end-oflife<br />
options the most sustainable solution should be<br />
the most favourable from an ecological point of view.<br />
Because not only the energy expended during material<br />
manufacture and during its use must be considered,<br />
but also the redistribution and/or conversion of matter,<br />
in particular during disposal, the scientific concept<br />
of entropy efficiency may be used to determine the<br />
sustainability of a material, product or process.<br />
The use of fossil resources for energy production<br />
and as industrial raw materials inevitably leads to a redistribution<br />
or conversion of matter and a devaluation<br />
of the resources of our planet, with less and less useful<br />
forms of energy or materials being available. Only<br />
in this way can we explain how on the one hand we<br />
complain about global warming and the greenhouse<br />
effect, and on the other hand we have an energy supply<br />
problem. We cannot really make use of the heat energy<br />
building up in the atmosphere.<br />
Put simply, entropy is the measure of the irreversibility<br />
of a product or process. That means that only in<br />
ideal, totally reversible processes is no entropy generated.<br />
In reality a certain entropy is generated by every<br />
conversion process.<br />
Thus, maximum sustainability of a product or process<br />
means the lowest possible entropy generation over<br />
the total life cycle, together with maximum benefit to<br />
the user.<br />
By using natural synthesis less energy is often used<br />
for the production of biopolymers than for conventional<br />
plastics. Biopolymers however not only have higher<br />
entropy efficiency on the input side: by optimising the<br />
disposal process their entropy efficiency can be further<br />
enhanced. An example may be when a compostable<br />
waste disposal bag or a resorbable implant offers<br />
an additional benefit after its principal use, or when,<br />
after reuse and/or recycling, the material is incinerated<br />
to produce CO 2 -neutral energy. On the other hand<br />
automatic recourse to composting or land-fill does often<br />
not lead to benefit cascading but only to additional<br />
expenditure, i.e. additional entropy generation without<br />
benefit.<br />
Biopolymers, because of the use of bio-based raw<br />
materials, have a higher sustainability than conventional<br />
polymers not only on the raw material side but<br />
even at the end of their life through intelligent application<br />
of the various disposal options. In conclusion<br />
we can therefore reasonably assume that biopolymers<br />
will represent a new class of materials in a plastics<br />
market that is demanding ever more sustainability, in<br />
particular with regard to future applications.<br />
Entropy<br />
Greenhouse<br />
effect<br />
CO 2<br />
Heat<br />
Combustion<br />
of<br />
petrochemicals<br />
Emission<br />
of CO 2<br />
A B C D E F G H<br />
Irreversible<br />
enhancement<br />
of entropy<br />
Processes<br />
www.bv.fh-hannover.de, www.achilles-apv.de<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3 25
Basics<br />
Polyethylene<br />
History and outlook<br />
Rigid toy made of polyethylene<br />
Polyethylene is a plastic material that has been known for<br />
more than 100 years. It is found in millions of applications<br />
from simple film, through containers, to toys or technical<br />
components such as plastic fuel tanks for cars. Polyethylene was<br />
discovered by the chemist Hans von Pechmann in 1898. In 1933<br />
polyethylene was successfully produced, at a pressure of 1400 bar<br />
and a temperature of 170 °C, at the ICI laboratories. For a large<br />
scale industrial process these conditions were, however, difficult<br />
to produce and were highly energy intensive.<br />
In 1953 polymer chemistry saw a major breakthrough. The<br />
chemists Karl Ziegler and Giulio Natta succeeded in synthesising<br />
polyethylene from ethene (also called ethylene) at normal pressure<br />
using catalysts.<br />
The establishment of this process led to the introduction of<br />
large scale polyethylene synthesis and the use of polyethylene as<br />
a mass market material. In 1963 they were jointly awarded the<br />
Nobel Prize for Chemistry in recognition of this achievement.<br />
Polyethylene has been used industrially in huge quantities since<br />
1953, principally for gas and water pipelines, cable insulation and<br />
as a packaging material, such as shrink packaging film. Polyethylene<br />
and polypropylene opened up the age of plastics. Polyethylene<br />
today is the most widely used plastic material in the world,<br />
with about a 30% market share.<br />
Karl Ziegler was born in 1898 and studied<br />
chemistry in Marburg. He graduated in<br />
1923. Major stages in his academic career<br />
were at the Universities of Frankfurt, Heidelberg,<br />
Halle and Chicago. From 1943 he<br />
was head of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute<br />
for Coal Research (today the Max Planck<br />
Institute in Mülheim) where he devoted his<br />
energies to research into the combination<br />
of organic compounds with metals.<br />
From 1948 to 1969 Ziegler taught, as an<br />
honorary professor, at the RWTH technical<br />
college in Aachen.<br />
(Photo: dpa)<br />
The basis of the polyethylene polymer chain is ethene (ethylene),<br />
which is a highly flammable gas. The synthesis of ethene<br />
was originally carried out by the dehydrogenation of pure alcohol<br />
(ethanol). Today‘s technically relevant processes are the cracking<br />
of natural gas and higher hydrocarbons. These technologies<br />
are based on fossil resources whose availability is limited and<br />
which are subject to major price fluctuations. According to estimates<br />
there is enough crude petroleum to last for another 40<br />
years at current demand rates. This shows a clear need for the<br />
development of polyethylene based on renewable resources. With<br />
the introduction of the Kyoto Protocol on February 6th 2005 the<br />
industrial nations committed themselves to a reduction of greenhouse<br />
gases and the avoidance of carbon dioxide emissions. The<br />
protocol also envisages the scavenging and conversion of carbon<br />
dioxide by green vegetation.<br />
Ethanol (pure alcohol) is seen, in the search for alternative<br />
sources for the synthesis of ethene, as a possibility based on<br />
regenerative bio-mass. The production of „bio-ethanol“ from renewable<br />
resources is achieved by the enzymatic conversion of<br />
starch and cellulose. For years bio-ethanol has been used as a<br />
biogenous fuel for cars. It therefore seems logical that to use bioethanol<br />
as the basis for synthesising polyethylene by the polymerisation<br />
of bio-ethene.<br />
26 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3
Basics<br />
and Bio-Polyethylene<br />
by Dr Thomas Isenburg<br />
The current annual production level of bio-ethanol is some<br />
35 to 40 million tonnes. The basis for the synthesis is sugar<br />
cane, maize starch, wheat starch and sugar beet. By catalytic<br />
extraction of water bio-ethene can be obtained from bio-ethanol.<br />
At the moment the majority of the ethanol so produced is<br />
used as motor fuel. It is however theoretically possible to produce<br />
20 % of the world demand for ethylene using the process<br />
described above.<br />
During the 1980s the French chemicals company Rhodia<br />
set up and operated a plant for the production of ethene from<br />
ethanol in Sao Paulo, Brazil. After the withdrawal of the government<br />
bio-ethanol subsidy, and the low petroleum prices<br />
that the world was enjoying at that time, the plant was closed<br />
down. During this period there was a good deal of work done<br />
on the development of a catalyst; work which could be used<br />
today as the basis of further research.<br />
In Brazil ethanol is currently sold at about 330 to 350 US<br />
Dollars per tonne. This leads to ethene production costs in<br />
the order of 700 Dollars per tonne. The price of ethene obtained<br />
from fossil resources fluctuates enormously. In 2003,<br />
when crude oil was 28 Dollars a barrel, the price of ethene<br />
was between 500 and 600 Dollars per tonne. By 2005 (with<br />
crude oil at 54 Dollars a barrel) the price of ethene had rapidly<br />
grown to over 900 Dollars per tonne. Today, with crude oil at<br />
90 Dollars a barrel, the price of ethene is over 1100 Dollars<br />
per tonne. Brazil, as one of the world‘s major sugar producers,<br />
has a considerable interest in producing bio-ethylene via<br />
the synthesis of sugar-based bio-ethanol. The first plants are<br />
in the planning stage but none is so far in operation. The Brazilian<br />
ethanol price is something of a special case which is related<br />
not so much to the particularly attractive conditions for<br />
purchasing cane sugar, but more to general production cost<br />
levels in that country. In Europe and the USA the production<br />
costs for bio-ethanol are about double those in Brazil. This effectively<br />
means that bio-ethanol will only be competitive when<br />
crude oil reaches 120 Dollars a barrel.<br />
Ethanol can be transported by sea. Ethylene is highly reactive<br />
(a flammable, explosive gas) and can only be transported<br />
via a pipeline. Companies in Brazil can therefore use their<br />
competitive advantage mainly at the polymer level, and for<br />
products made from the polymer. Because Europe is a leading<br />
chemical industry location, with a high level of exports of<br />
downstream products, it is nevertheless not unreasonable to<br />
consider producing bio-ethylene in Europe despite the generally<br />
higher costs. If the carbon dioxide problem is also included<br />
in the equation ethylene from renewable resources offers<br />
an added bonus.<br />
Giulio Natta was born in 1903 in Imperia,<br />
Italy, and from 1933 to 1935 was professor<br />
of chemistry at the University of<br />
Pavia. From 1936 to 1938 he was director<br />
of the Institute for Industrial Chemistry<br />
at the Turin Polytechnic and from 1938<br />
was director of the Institute for Industrial<br />
Chemistry at the Milan Polytechnic.<br />
(Photo: dpa)<br />
Packaging applications made of polyethylene<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3 27
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28 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3
Basics Glossary<br />
Blend<br />
Glossary<br />
In bioplastics MAGAZINE again<br />
and again the same expressions<br />
appear that some of our readers<br />
might (not yet) be familiar with.<br />
This glossary shall help with these<br />
terms and shall help avoid repeated<br />
explanations such as ‘PLA (Polylactide)‘<br />
in various articles.<br />
Readers who know better explanations or who<br />
would like to suggest other explanations to be<br />
added to the list, please contact the editor.<br />
[*: bM ... refers to more comprehensive article previously<br />
published in bioplastics MAGAZINE)<br />
Mixture of plastics, polymer alloy of at least two microscopically<br />
dispersed and molecularly distributed<br />
base polymers.<br />
Cellophane<br />
Clear film on the basis of à cellulose.<br />
Cellulose<br />
Polymeric molecule with very high molecular weight<br />
(biopolymer, monomer is à Glucose), industrial production<br />
from wood or cotton, to manufacture paper,<br />
plastics and fibres.<br />
Compost<br />
A soil conditioning material of decomposing organic<br />
matter which provides nutrients and enhances soil<br />
structure.<br />
Compostable Plastics<br />
Plastics that are biodegradable under ‘composting’<br />
conditions: specified humidity, temperature, à microorganisms<br />
and timefame. Several national and international<br />
standards exist for clearer definitions, for example<br />
EN 14995 Plastics - Evaluation of compostability<br />
- Test scheme and specifications [bM 02/2006 p. 34f, bM<br />
<strong>01</strong>/2007 p38].<br />
Composting<br />
Amylopectin<br />
Polymeric branched starch molecule with very high molecular<br />
weight (biopolymer, monomer is à Glucose).<br />
Amyloseacetat<br />
Linear polymeric glucose-chains are called à amylose.<br />
If this compound is treated with ethan acid one product is<br />
amylacetat. The hydroxyl group is connected with the organic<br />
acid fragment.<br />
Amylose<br />
Polymeric non-branched starch molecule with high molecular<br />
weight (biopolymer, monomer is à Glucose).<br />
Biodegradable Plastics<br />
Biodegradable Plastics are plastics that are completely<br />
assimilated by the à microorganisms present a defined environment<br />
as food for their energy. The carbon of the plastic<br />
must completely be converted into CO 2<br />
.during the microbial<br />
process. For an official definition, please refer to the<br />
standards e.g. ISO or in Europe: EN 14995 Plastics- Evaluation<br />
of compostability - Test scheme and specifications. [bM<br />
02/2006 p. 34f, bM <strong>01</strong>/2007 p38].<br />
A solid waste management technique that uses natural<br />
process to convert organic materials to CO 2<br />
, water<br />
and humus through the action of à microorganisms<br />
[bM 03/2007].<br />
Copolymer<br />
Plastic composed of different monomers.<br />
Fermentation<br />
Biochemical reactions controlled by à microorganisms<br />
or enyzmes (e.g. the transformation of sugar into<br />
lactic acid).<br />
Gelatine<br />
Translucent brittle solid substance, colorless or<br />
slightly yellow, nearly tasteless and odorless, extracted<br />
from the collagen inside animals‘ connective tissue.<br />
Glucose<br />
Monosaccharide (or simple sugar). G. is the most<br />
important carbohydrate (sugar) in biology. G. is formed<br />
by photosynthesis or hydrolyse of many carbohydrates<br />
e. g. starch.<br />
30 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3
Basics Glossary<br />
Humus<br />
In agriculture, ‘humus’ is often used simply to mean<br />
mature à compost, or natural compost extracted from<br />
a forest or other spontaneous source for use to amend<br />
soil.<br />
Hydrophilic<br />
Property: ‘water-friendly’, soluble in water or other<br />
polar solvents (e.g. used in conjunction with a plastic<br />
which is not waterresistant and weatherproof or that<br />
absorbs water such as Polyamide (PA).<br />
Hydrophobic<br />
Property: ‘water-resistant’, not soluble in water (e.g.<br />
a plastic which is waterresistant and weatherproof, or<br />
that does not absorb any water such as Polethylene (PE)<br />
or Polypropylene (PP).<br />
Microorganism<br />
Living organisms of microscopic size, such as bacteria,<br />
funghi or yeast.<br />
PCL<br />
Polycaprolactone, a synthetic (fossil based), biodegradable<br />
bioplastic, e.g. used as a blend component.<br />
PHA<br />
Polyhydroxyalkanoates are linear polyesters produced<br />
in nature by bacterial fermentation of sugar or lipids.<br />
The most common type of PHA is à PHB.<br />
PHB<br />
Polyhydroxyl buteric acid (better poly-3-hydroxybutyrate),<br />
is a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a polymer belonging<br />
to the polyesters class. PHB is produced by micro-organisms<br />
apparently in response to conditions of<br />
physiological stress. The polymer is primarily a product<br />
of carbon assimilation (from glucose or starch) and is<br />
employed by micro-organisms as a form of energy storage<br />
molecule to be metabolized when other common<br />
energy sources are not available. PHB has properties<br />
similar to those of PP, however it is stiffer and more<br />
brittle.<br />
PLA<br />
Polylactide, a bioplastic made of polymerised lactic<br />
acid.<br />
Saccharins or carbohydrates<br />
Saccharins or carbohydrates are name for the sugar-family.<br />
Saccharins are monomer or polymer sugar<br />
units. For example, there are known mono-, di- and<br />
polysaccharose. à glucose is a monosaccarin. They are<br />
important for the diet and produced biology in plants.<br />
Sorbitol<br />
Sugar alcohol, obtained by reduction of glucose changing<br />
the aldehyde group to an additional hydroxyl group. S. is<br />
used as a plasticiser for bioplastics based on starch .<br />
Starch<br />
Natural polymer (carbohydrate) consisting of à amylose<br />
and à amylopectin, gained from maize, potatoes, wheat,<br />
tapioca etc. When glucose is connected to polymer-chains<br />
in definite way the result (product) is called starch. Each<br />
molecule is based on 300 -12000-glucose units. Depending<br />
on the connection, there are two types à amylose and<br />
à amylopectin known.<br />
Starch (-derivate)<br />
Starch (-derivates) are based on the chemical structure<br />
of à starch. The chemical structure can be changed by<br />
introducing new functional groups without changing the<br />
à starch polymer. The product has different chemical qualities.<br />
Mostly the hydrophilic character is not the same.<br />
Starch-ester<br />
One characteristic of every starch-chain is a free hydroxyl<br />
group. When every hydroxyl group is connect with ethan acid<br />
one product is starch-ester with different chemical properties.<br />
Starch propionate and starch butyrate<br />
Starch propionate and starch butyrate can be synthesised<br />
by treating the à starch with propane or butanic acid. The<br />
product structure is still based on à starch. Every based<br />
à glucose fragment is connected with a propionate or butyrate<br />
ester group. The product is more hydrophobic than<br />
à starch.<br />
Sustainable<br />
An attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human<br />
and natural environments both now and into the indefinite<br />
future. One of the most often cited definitions of sustainability<br />
is the one created by the Brundtland Commission,<br />
led by the former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem<br />
Brundtland. The Brundtland Commission defined sustainable<br />
development as development that ‘meets the needs of<br />
the present without compromising the ability of future generations<br />
to meet their own needs.’ Sustainability relates to<br />
the continuity of economic, social, institutional and environmental<br />
aspects of human society, as well as the non-human<br />
environment).<br />
Thermoplastics<br />
Plastics which soften or melt when heated and solidify<br />
when cooled (solid at room temperature).<br />
Yard Waste<br />
Grass clippings, leaves, trimmings, garden residue.<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3 31
Suppliers Guide<br />
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1. Raw Materials<br />
1.1 bio based monomers<br />
1.3 PLA<br />
1.4 starch-based bioplastics<br />
2. Additives /<br />
Secondary raw materials<br />
Du Pont de Nemours International S.A.<br />
2, Chemin du Pavillon, PO Box 50<br />
CH 1218 Le Grand Saconnex,<br />
Geneva, Switzerland<br />
Phone: + 41(0) 22 717 5176<br />
Fax: + 41(0) 22 580 2360<br />
thomas.philipon@che.dupont.com<br />
www.packaging.dupont.com<br />
1.2 compounds<br />
BIOTEC Biologische<br />
Naturverpackungen GmbH & Co. KG<br />
Werner-Heisenberg-Straße 32<br />
46446 Emmerich<br />
Germany<br />
Tel.: +49 2822 92510<br />
Fax: +49 2822 51840<br />
info@biotec.de<br />
www.biotec.de<br />
Du Pont de Nemours International S.A.<br />
2, Chemin du Pavillon, PO Box 50<br />
CH 1218 Le Grand Saconnex,<br />
Geneva, Switzerland<br />
Phone: + 41(0) 22 717 5176<br />
Fax: + 41(0) 22 580 2360<br />
thomas.philipon@che.dupont.com<br />
www.packaging.dupont.com<br />
3. Semi finished products<br />
3.1 films<br />
Wiedmer AG - PLASTIC SOLU-<br />
TIONS<br />
8752 Näfels - Am Linthli 2<br />
SWITZERLAND<br />
Phone: ++41(0) 55 618 44 99<br />
Fax: ++41(0) 55 618 44 98<br />
www.wiedmer-plastic.com<br />
4.1 trays<br />
5. Traders<br />
5.1 wholesale<br />
6. Machinery & Molds<br />
R.O.J. Jongboom Holding B.V.<br />
Biopearls<br />
Damstraat 28<br />
6671 AE Zetten<br />
The Netherlands<br />
Tel.: +31 488 451318<br />
Mob: +31 646104345<br />
info@biopearls.nl<br />
www.biopearls.nl<br />
BIOTEC Biologische<br />
Naturverpackungen GmbH & Co. KG<br />
Werner-Heisenberg-Straße 32<br />
46446 Emmerich<br />
Germany<br />
Tel.: +49 2822 92510<br />
Fax: +49 2822 51840<br />
info@biotec.de<br />
www.biotec.de<br />
FKuR Kunststoff GmbH<br />
Siemensring 79<br />
D - 47 877 Willich<br />
Tel.: +49 (0) 2154 9251-26<br />
Tel.: +49 (0) 2154 9251-51<br />
patrick.zimmermann@fkur.de<br />
www.fkur.de<br />
Transmare Compounding B.V.<br />
Ringweg 7, 6045 JL<br />
Roermond, The Netherlands<br />
Phone: +31 (0)475 345 900<br />
Fax: +31 (0)475 345 910<br />
info@transmare.nl<br />
www.compounding.nl<br />
Plantic Technologies GmbH<br />
Heinrich-Busold-Straße 50<br />
D-61169 Friedberg<br />
Germany<br />
Tel: +49 6031 6842 650<br />
Tel: +44 794 096 4681 (UK)<br />
Fax: +49 6031 6842 656<br />
info@plantic.eu<br />
www.plantic.eu<br />
1.5 PHA<br />
1.6 masterbatches<br />
PolyOne<br />
Avenue Melville Wilson, 2<br />
Zoning de la Fagne<br />
5330 Assesse<br />
Belgium<br />
Tel.: + 32 83 660 211<br />
info.color@polyone.com<br />
www.polyone.com<br />
Sukano Products Ltd.<br />
Chaltenbodenstrasse 23<br />
CH-8834 Schindellegi<br />
Phone +41 44 787 57 77<br />
Fax +41 44 787 57 78<br />
www.sukano.com<br />
1.7 reinforcing fibres/fillers<br />
made from RRM<br />
Maag GmbH<br />
Leckingser Straße 12<br />
58640 Iserlohn<br />
Germany<br />
Tel.: + 49 2371 9779-30<br />
Fax: + 49 2371 9779-97<br />
shonke@maag.de<br />
www.maag.de<br />
www.earthfirstpla.com<br />
www.sidaplax.com<br />
www.plasticsuppliers.com<br />
Sidaplax UK : +44 (1) 604 76 66 99<br />
Sidaplax Belgium: +32 9 210 80 10<br />
Plastic Suppliers: +1 866 378 4178<br />
3.1.1 cellulose based films<br />
INNOVIA FILMS LTD<br />
Wigton<br />
Cumbria CA7 9BG<br />
England<br />
Contact: Andy Sweetman<br />
Tel.: +44 16973 41549<br />
Fax: +44 16973 41452<br />
andy.sweetman@innoviafilms.com<br />
www.innoviafilms.com<br />
4. Bioplastics products<br />
natura Verpackungs GmbH<br />
Industriestr. 55 - 57<br />
48432 Rheine<br />
Tel.: +49 5975 303-57<br />
Fax: +49 5975 303-42<br />
info@naturapackaging.com<br />
www.naturapackagign.com<br />
FAS Converting Machinery AB<br />
O Zinkgatan 1/ Box 1503<br />
27100 Ystad, Sweden<br />
Tel.: +46 411 69260<br />
www.fasconverting.com<br />
Molds, Change Parts and Turnkey<br />
Solutions for the PET/Bioplastic<br />
Container Industry<br />
284 Pinebush Road<br />
Cambridge Ontario<br />
Canada N1T 1Z6<br />
Tel.: +1 519 624 9720<br />
Fax: +1 519 624 9721<br />
info@hallink.com<br />
www.hallink.com<br />
SIG Corpoplast GmbH & CO. KG<br />
Meiendorfer Str. 203<br />
22145 Hamburg, Germany<br />
Tel. +49-40-679-070<br />
Fax +49-40-679-07270<br />
sigcorpoplast@sig.biz<br />
www.sigcorpoplast.com<br />
7. Plant engineering<br />
Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH<br />
Holzhauser Str. 157 - 159<br />
13509 Berlin<br />
Germany<br />
Tel.: +49 (0)30 43567 5<br />
fax: +49 (0)30 43567 699<br />
sales.de@thyssenkrupp.com<br />
www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com<br />
8. Ancillary equipment<br />
9. Services<br />
10. Research institutes /<br />
Universities<br />
32 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3
Düsseldorf, Germany<br />
24 – 30 April <strong>2008</strong><br />
www.interpack.com<br />
Messe Düsseldorf GmbH<br />
Postfach 10 10 06<br />
D-400<strong>01</strong> Düsseldorf<br />
Germany<br />
Tel. +49(0)2 11/45 60-<strong>01</strong><br />
Fax +49(0)2 11/45 60-6 68<br />
www.messe-duesseldorf.de
Companies in this issue<br />
Events<br />
Company Editorial Advert<br />
Achilles Papierveredelung 22<br />
Alcan Packaging 18<br />
Amcor Flexibles 18<br />
BASF 13<br />
BCC Research 5<br />
BioFach (Messe Nürnberg) 19<br />
Biopearls 32<br />
bioplastics24.com 29<br />
Biotec 32<br />
Cargill 10<br />
Cereplast 7<br />
Co-op 18<br />
Coopbox Italia 14<br />
Defra 18<br />
Dow Polyurethane 12<br />
DSM 6<br />
DuPont 32<br />
Earth First 32<br />
Elastogran 13<br />
Erema 20 2<br />
Fachhochschule Hannover 22<br />
FAS Converting 32<br />
FKuR 32<br />
Genpak 7<br />
Hallink 32<br />
Innovia 16 32<br />
interpack (Messe Düsseldorf) 33<br />
Jordan‘s 18<br />
KTM 5<br />
Maag 32<br />
Marks & Spencer 6,18<br />
Morrisons 18<br />
natura 32,35<br />
Natura A.S.P. Packaging 18<br />
NatureWorks 15<br />
Nokia 6<br />
Novamont 8 36<br />
Novomer 6<br />
Paragon Flexibles 18<br />
Plantic 6<br />
Plantic 32<br />
Plastic Suppliers 29,32<br />
plasticker 29<br />
Polyone 32<br />
Sainsbury‘s 17<br />
SIG Corpoplast 32<br />
Sirap Gema 8<br />
Sukano 32<br />
Tesco 18<br />
Toray 7<br />
Transmare 32<br />
Uhde Inventa Fischer 32<br />
Waitrose 18<br />
Wiedmer 32<br />
Wrap 17<br />
Next Issue<br />
For the next issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE<br />
(among others) the following subjects are scheduled:<br />
Topics:<br />
Bioplastics in automotive<br />
applications<br />
Natural fibre Composites<br />
Basics:<br />
Logos: ‘Biobase‘ Logos<br />
Next issues:<br />
02/08 March <strong>2008</strong><br />
03/08 April <strong>2008</strong><br />
04/08 June <strong>2008</strong><br />
05/08 September <strong>2008</strong><br />
06/08 November <strong>2008</strong><br />
February, 18-20, <strong>2008</strong><br />
Agricultural Film <strong>2008</strong><br />
Fira Palace Hotel, Barcelona, Spain<br />
www.amiplastics.com<br />
February 21-24, <strong>2008</strong><br />
biofach<br />
World Organic Trade Fair<br />
Fairgrounds Nuremberg, Germany<br />
www.biofach.de/en/<br />
March 3-4, <strong>2008</strong><br />
3rd International Seminar on Biodegradable Polymers<br />
Valencia, Spain<br />
http://www.azom.com/details.asp?newsID=7345<br />
March, 5-6, <strong>2008</strong><br />
Bio polymers in applications of films<br />
German with simultaneous translation into English<br />
Festung Marienberg, Würzburg, Germany<br />
www.innoform-coaching.de<br />
March, 12, <strong>2008</strong><br />
Alternative Bioproduct Uses for Biomass<br />
Feedstocks in the Biorefinery Process<br />
Brussels Expo, Brussels, Belgium<br />
www.greenpowerconferences.com<br />
April 1-2, <strong>2008</strong><br />
Third World Congress, Wood Plastic Composites<br />
Crowne Plaza, San Diego California, USA<br />
www.executive-conference.com/conferences/wpc08.php<br />
April 1-3, <strong>2008</strong><br />
JEC Composites Paris<br />
including biobasesd polymers and natural fibers<br />
Paris, France<br />
www.jeccomposites.com<br />
April 22-23, <strong>2008</strong><br />
„Connecting comPETence“: PETnology Europe <strong>2008</strong><br />
Düsseldorf/Neuss , Germany, prior to Interpack<br />
http://www.petnology.com<br />
April 24-30, <strong>2008</strong><br />
Interpack - <strong>2008</strong><br />
and here:<br />
Bioplastics in Packaging<br />
The interpack <strong>2008</strong> Group Exhibition<br />
Düsseldorf, Germany<br />
www.european-bioplastics.org<br />
www.interpack.com<br />
meet bioplastics MAGAZINE here<br />
June 18-19, <strong>2008</strong><br />
7th Global WPC and Natural Fibre Composites<br />
Congress and Exhibition<br />
Kongress Palais, Stadthalle, Kassel, Germany<br />
www.wpc-nfk.de<br />
34 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/08] Vol. 3