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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 />

Simply contact:<br />

Tel.: +49-2359-2996-0 or suppguide@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />

Stay permanently listed in the Suppliers Guide with your company logo and contact information.<br />

For only 6,– EUR per mm, per issue you can be present among top suppliers in the field of bioplastics.<br />

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

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