Issue 04/2018
bioplasticsMAGAZINE_1804
bioplasticsMAGAZINE_1804
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
ISSN 1862-5258<br />
Jul / Aug<br />
<strong>04</strong> | <strong>2018</strong><br />
Cover Story:<br />
Vienna schoolgirls<br />
develop homecompostable<br />
coffee<br />
capsules| 34<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 13<br />
Basics<br />
PEF | 48<br />
Highlights<br />
Blow Moulding / Bottles | 16<br />
Coffee Capsules & Pods | 34<br />
... is read in 92 countries
Eastlon<br />
BIO-PET<br />
RE-THINKING THE BOTTLE:<br />
Different Bioplastics for one Application.<br />
A fi ne and high-value bottle can be made from different types of bioplastics.<br />
Rebhan was spoilt for choice and fi nally took all for their biobased packaging<br />
portfolio GREENline:<br />
• Bio-Flex ® , a PLA blend,<br />
• Eastlon, the Bio-PET by Fenc,<br />
• Braskem's Green PE.<br />
All resins are supplied by FKuR, naturally.
Editorial<br />
dear<br />
readers<br />
This year is the hottest summer in Germany that I can remember in 15 years. Unbelievably,<br />
we’ve had bright sunshine and high temperatures since the end of May. And one of the<br />
fundamental rules in weather like this is to drink a lot. Preferably water. But I prefer coffee.<br />
As I’m trying to minimize coffee-related waste at my home, I usually drink my<br />
coffee freshly brewed from freshly ground coffee beans in a modern, fully automatic<br />
coffee machine. But I must admit that there are benefits to today’s conveniently<br />
pre-dosed coffee pods and capsules: the wide variety of tastes and flavours, the<br />
different strengths available - with or without caffeine - while at home… the same<br />
coffee in each and every cup… . On the other hand, (traditional) coffee pods and<br />
capsule are causing at least some – to put it mildly – environmental concern.<br />
Could coffee pods and capsules made of biobased and/or biodegradable plastics<br />
offer a sustainable alternative? This is one of the highlight topics discussed in this<br />
issue. We’ve even included an article about a coffee capsule made of (sugar cane)<br />
paper, which are not exactly bioplastics, but in my opinion, still an alternative to<br />
aluminium worth reporting on.<br />
The other highlight topic is Blow Moulding / Bottle Applications which this time<br />
also includes the Basics section, where we have a closer look at PEF.<br />
Two more things I’d like to direct your attention to are:<br />
The 1 st PHA platform World Congress on 4 and 5 September in Cologne. We<br />
are happy to have no fewer that 28 speakers lined up to present the latest PHA<br />
developments and who are looking forward to networking with you.<br />
Second, we’re currently calling for submissions for the <strong>2018</strong> edition of the Global<br />
Bioplastics Award. If you think your product or service from the world of biobased plastics<br />
deserves the award, or you’d like to nominate somebody else’s, please let us know.<br />
Until then, please enjoy the summer - and have a great time reading this latest issue of<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE.<br />
Sincerely yours<br />
Michael Thielen<br />
Follow us on twitter!<br />
www.twitter.com/bioplasticsmag<br />
Like us on Facebook!<br />
www.facebook.com/bioplasticsmagazine<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 3
Content<br />
Imprint<br />
Jul / Aug <strong>04</strong>|<strong>2018</strong><br />
Blow Moulding<br />
14 No Message in the bottle –<br />
The bottle is the message!<br />
18 100% biobased PET bottle<br />
closer to reality<br />
Applications<br />
24 Natural fibres for motorsports<br />
Report/Opinon<br />
26 20 years Tecnaro<br />
Materials<br />
31 New biocomposite for<br />
thermally formable products<br />
33 New compound certified as<br />
biodegradable in soil<br />
42 Multilayer transparent barrierfilms<br />
Coffee capsules & pods<br />
36 Enjoying coffee with compostable<br />
coffee capsules<br />
37 Replacing aluminium with paper<br />
38 Coffee Klatch<br />
40 Bio-PBS to increase benefits<br />
of PLA coffee capsules<br />
41 PürPod 100<br />
From Science & Research<br />
43 Bioplastic from cactus<br />
44 From coffee grounds to plastic<br />
3 Editorial<br />
5 News<br />
10 Events<br />
26 Application News<br />
34 Cover Story<br />
48 Basics<br />
52 10 years ago<br />
54 Suppliers Guide<br />
57 Event Calendar<br />
58 Companies in this issue<br />
Publisher / Editorial<br />
Dr. Michael Thielen (MT)<br />
Samuel Brangenberg (SB)<br />
Head Office<br />
Polymedia Publisher GmbH<br />
Dammer Str. 112<br />
41066 Mönchengladbach, Germany<br />
phone: +49 (0)2161 6884469<br />
fax: +49 (0)2161 6884468<br />
info@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
Media Adviser<br />
Samsales (German language)<br />
phone: +49(0)2161-6884467<br />
fax: +49(0)2161 6884468<br />
sb@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
Michael Thielen (English Language)<br />
(see head office)<br />
Layout/Production<br />
Kerstin Neumeister<br />
Print<br />
Poligrāfijas grupa Mūkusala Ltd.<br />
10<strong>04</strong> Riga, Latvia<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE is printed on<br />
chlorine-free FSC certified paper.<br />
Print run: 3.600 copies<br />
bioplastics magazine<br />
ISSN 1862-5258<br />
bM is published 6 times a year.<br />
This publication is sent to qualified subscribers<br />
(169 Euro for 6 issues).<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE is read in<br />
92 countries.<br />
Every effort is made to verify all Information<br />
published, but Polymedia Publisher<br />
cannot accept responsibility for any errors<br />
or omissions or for any losses that may<br />
arise as a result.<br />
All articles appearing in<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE, or on the website<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com are strictly<br />
covered by copyright. No part of this<br />
publication may be reproduced, copied,<br />
scanned, photographed and/or stored<br />
in any form, including electronic format,<br />
without the prior consent of the publisher.<br />
Opinions expressed in articles do not<br />
necessarily reflect those of Polymedia<br />
Publisher.<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE welcomes contributions<br />
for publication. Submissions are<br />
accepted on the basis of full assignment<br />
of copyright to Polymedia Publisher GmbH<br />
unless otherwise agreed in advance and in<br />
writing. We reserve the right to edit items<br />
for reasons of space, clarity or legality.<br />
Please contact the editorial office via<br />
mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com.<br />
The fact that product names may not be<br />
identified in our editorial as trade marks<br />
is not an indication that such names are<br />
not registered trade marks.<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE tries to use British<br />
spelling. However, in articles based on<br />
information from the USA, American<br />
spelling may also be used.<br />
Envelopes<br />
A part of this print run is mailed to the<br />
readers wrapped in bioplastic envelopes<br />
sponsored by Minima Technology Co.,<br />
Ltd. , Taiwan<br />
Cover<br />
Photo: TGM Hetzmannseder<br />
Follow us on twitter:<br />
http://twitter.com/bioplasticsmag<br />
Like us on Facebook:<br />
https://www.facebook.com/bioplasticsmagazine
daily upated news at<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
News<br />
Global L-lactide market set for explosive growth<br />
The global L-lactide market was valued at US$ 781.81<br />
Mn in 2017 and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 14.1%<br />
from <strong>2018</strong> to 2026, according to a new report titled "L-lactide<br />
Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Trends,<br />
and Forecast, <strong>2018</strong>–2026," published by Transparency Market<br />
Research (TMR).<br />
The main driver behind this growth is the rising demand<br />
for bioplastics. Polylactic acid – PLA – is a commonly used<br />
bioplastics that is derived from L-lactide. Around the globe,<br />
consumers are increasingly indicating a preference for<br />
biodegradable materials as their awareness grows about the<br />
environmental impact of the use of fossil-based materials.<br />
North America accounts for a major share of the global<br />
L-lactide market.<br />
The properties of L-lactide, such as sustainability, its barrier<br />
properties and appearance, make it ideal for use in packaging<br />
applications. Stringent regulations on plastic consumption<br />
in developed regions such as North America and Europe are<br />
expected to have a positive influence on the expansion of the<br />
L-lactide market.<br />
Next to packaging, another area that is likely to stimulate<br />
the growth of the global L-lactide market is that of biomedical<br />
applications.<br />
Demand for L-lactide from various medical fields, such<br />
as controlled drug delivery systems, tissue regeneration,<br />
and medical implants, is on the rise owing to the favourable<br />
biocompatibility and the mechanical properties of the material.<br />
L-lactide is finding increasing use in biomedical applications<br />
such as orthopaedics, drug carriers, facial fracture repair,<br />
tissue engineering, and uteral stents, which is expected<br />
to add to the growth potential of the L-lactide market. The<br />
emergence of nanotechnology and material science using<br />
biomaterials has prompted researchers and manufacturers<br />
of medical devices to come up with advanced technologies<br />
using L-lactide.<br />
L-Lactides are also increasingly being applied in soil<br />
retention sheeting, agricultural films, and waste bags.<br />
Agricultural mulches, seeding strips, and tapes can today<br />
be made from PLA. Mulches help reduce evaporation and<br />
conserve moisture, increase soil temperature, and keep weeds<br />
under control. The successful replacement of petroleumbased<br />
materials will offer new value added markets for<br />
agricultural commodities and reduce the dependence on<br />
foreign crude oil and gas.<br />
The global L-lactide market is dominated by the food &<br />
beverage packaging segment. L-lactides have been used as<br />
packaging materials in the last few years, mainly as containers<br />
for dairy, bakery, and fresh food products. Food containers,<br />
bags and cups, disposable serviceware and utensils,<br />
lamination or coatings for paper and paperboard, foam<br />
products for trays, and other packaging materials and films<br />
manufactured using L-lactide are gaining popularity due to<br />
the favourable material properties and superior performance<br />
of the material. However, the low heat distortion temperature<br />
of L-lactide restricts its use to ambient temperatures.<br />
In terms of consumption, North America accounted<br />
for a major share of the global L-lactide market in 2017.<br />
Implementation of favourable government policies and<br />
regulations on plastic consumption have propelled the<br />
expansion of the L-lactide market in developed countries.<br />
The federal government aims to drive demand for biobased<br />
products through procurement programs. Increased<br />
consumer preference for biodegradable materials and rise in<br />
environmental concerns are anticipated to drive the L-lactide<br />
market in North America. MT<br />
bit.ly/2NKvN5c<br />
Picks & clicks<br />
Most frequently clicked news<br />
Here’s a look at our most popular online content of the past two months.<br />
The story that got the most clicks from the visitors to<br />
bioplasticsmagazine.com was:<br />
Bio-based multilayer transparent barrier films are now reality<br />
(19 June <strong>2018</strong>)<br />
Four key players in the bioplastics industry - Eurotech Extrusion Machinery,<br />
NatureWorks, Nippon Gohsei and Sukano - have successfully processed a<br />
multilayer transparent bio-based barrier film, offering a potential replacement<br />
for conventional fossil fuel-based structures in dry food packaging...<br />
See also the full article on page 38<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 5
News<br />
daily upated news at<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
Biocomposite demand driven by<br />
global construction boom, says new report<br />
The vendor landscape for the global market for<br />
biocomposites has seen a significant rise in the number<br />
of manufacturers, leading to intense competition, writes<br />
Transparency Market Research in a recent report.<br />
As the market witnesses the entry of numerous wellestablished<br />
manufacturers of popular composites such as<br />
glass fiber and cotton fiber, the market is expected to become<br />
more competitive in the near future. Despite this, the market<br />
features a vast set of untapped growth opportunities in new<br />
applications across industries such as construction and<br />
automotive.<br />
Tapping these growth opportunities may require strategic<br />
collaborations with companies in emerging economies and<br />
expansion of manufacturing capabilities to effectively serve<br />
the rising demand. Some of the leading companies operating<br />
in the global biocomposites market are Tecnaro, UPM,<br />
FlexForm Technologies, Green Bay Decking, Universal Forest<br />
Products, and Jelu-Werk.<br />
According to the report, the global biocomposites market<br />
will exhibit an impressive 9.46% CAGR over the period<br />
between 2017 and 2025, rising from a valuation of US$4,730.4<br />
mn in 2016 to US$10,549.4 mn by 2025.<br />
Of the key materials used to manufacture biocomposites,<br />
wood presently accounts for a dominant share in the overall<br />
market, thanks to its excellent binding properties and easy<br />
availability. The segment of flax is expected to expand at the<br />
fastest pace over the forecast period, accounting for a notable<br />
share in the overall market by the end of the report’s forecast.<br />
From the geographical standpoint, the market in Asia<br />
Pacific is presently the leading contributor of revenue to the<br />
global biocomposites market, thanks to the rapid pace of<br />
industrialization in emerging economies. The region is also a<br />
key market for biocomposites owing to the massive demand<br />
across industries such as consumer goods, construction, and<br />
automotive.<br />
The key factors working in favor of the global biocomposites<br />
market include stringent government regulations advocating<br />
the increased use of environment-friendly products with the<br />
view of reducing the negative impacts of rising pollution on<br />
the health of environment and global warming. The recyclable<br />
nature of biocomposites, coupled with their much higher<br />
safety quotient as compared to materials such as glass fibers<br />
and carbon fiber when it comes to a number of applications,<br />
could also spell growth for the market.<br />
The easy availability of most raw materials required for the<br />
production of a variety of biocomposites across the globe is<br />
also a key factors expected to work well for the expansion<br />
of the global biocomposites market over the next few years.<br />
However, certain limitations concerning pure biocomposites<br />
in aspects such as mechanical strength, coupled with their<br />
unstable costs and fluctuating availability of raw materials<br />
could cost the market negatively to a certain degree over the<br />
forecast period. MT<br />
tinyurl.com/biocomposites-17-25<br />
Corbion CEO Tjerk de Ruiter appointed as new<br />
EuropaBio Chairman<br />
EuropaBio, the European Association for Bioindustries, has released a statement announcing that its Executive Board and<br />
General Assembly of Members this week confirmed the appointment of Tjerk de Ruiter as Chairman of the association.<br />
De Ruiter is CEO of Dutch industrial biotech innovator Corbion, a global market leader in lactic acid, lactic acid derivatives,<br />
and a leading company in emulsifiers, functional enzyme blends, minerals, vitamins and algae ingredients.<br />
Commenting on his appointment, De Ruiter said: “I am thrilled to become EuropaBio’s new Chairman at a time when our<br />
sector has a great story to tell about the solutions it can provide in response to some<br />
of the bigger questions people and planet are facing today.” EuropaBio, he added, is<br />
uniquely positioned to promote more knowledge about biotech innovation in Europe<br />
and to share the enthusiasm of biotech innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs<br />
with the wider public. “In light of next year’s European elections, one of our first<br />
priorities will be to ensure policymakers understand that Europe's biotech is globally<br />
leading with the innovative solutions the sector provides and that ensuring the right<br />
framework for its growth is key for Europe’s future.”<br />
De Ruiter’s mandate as Chairman is not remunerated and runs until 2020.. MT<br />
www.europabio.org<br />
6 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
News<br />
Bioplastic from frying oil<br />
Used frying oil is a hazardous waste,<br />
available in large quantities around<br />
the world. If it can be used to make<br />
polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) instead<br />
of having to be treated as waste, the<br />
environment benefits.<br />
Save the date<br />
see page 10-11 for details<br />
Professor Pavel Alexy of the STU Faculty of<br />
Chemical and Food Technology in Bratislava is currently<br />
collaborating intensively with the scientists of the Technical<br />
University of Brno and a commercial company, developing<br />
the technology for processing waste oils to secondgeneration<br />
polyhydroxybutyrate.<br />
The STU team is collaborating with a number of<br />
companies and universities on the practical application<br />
of the material. Among the commercial uses under<br />
consideration are plastic containers, cutlery, packaging<br />
foils and mulch foils.<br />
And together with a design agency called the crafting<br />
plastics! studio, the STU chemical engineers have come<br />
up with an idea of using bioplastics for sunglasses frames;<br />
their design won the 2017 National Design Award in the<br />
category of Value-added Design. It was also nominated<br />
for the German Design Award and currently is exhibited at<br />
the Venice Biennale of Design and Architecture. The young<br />
designers managed to get support for the project through<br />
the Kickstarter.com. crowdfunding portal.<br />
Medical applications also present new opportunities.<br />
The STU is currently collaborating with specialists at the<br />
Comenius University Faculty of Medicine in Bratislava and<br />
the top experts in implants development at the Technical<br />
University in Košice. Bioplastics may serve as temporary<br />
implants supporting complicated fractures. Research is<br />
also being carried out in the field of tissue engineering; in<br />
the laboratories, complete substitute organs are grown on<br />
a bio-substrate that will gradually decompose. MT<br />
Elephant grass is new<br />
local feedstock for<br />
bioplastics<br />
Although indigenous to the sub-tropic, Miscanthus<br />
Giganteus, or elephant grass, as it is more commonly<br />
known, has put down roots in Europe as well.<br />
In the Netherlands, it has been planted around the<br />
country’s major airport, Schiphol, to keep the geese<br />
away. A start-up company is now a making bioplastic<br />
called Vibers from it.<br />
According to Jan-Govert van Gilst elephant grass<br />
contains "‘the same energy value as coal and lots of<br />
cellulose fibers", making it suitable as an alternative<br />
resource to produce various materials. An idealist who is<br />
set on eliminating fossil-based plastic packaging, he saw<br />
potential in the crop and founded his company, NNRGY,<br />
in Honselersdijk, the Netherlands.<br />
Elephant grass is a fast-growing crop, which absorbs<br />
four times as much CO 2<br />
as a forest. It requires neither the<br />
use of pesticides or fertilizer to thrive and is not invasive.<br />
NNRGY developed a biodegradable, compostable<br />
bioplastic called Vibers that is made from elephant grass<br />
and residual product from the potato processing industry.<br />
In 2017, a new film was successfully developed for<br />
the packaging industry. It is thermoformable on existing<br />
machinery and at low temperatures, which saves energy.<br />
It can be processed as biodegradable waste. The seedling<br />
logo has been applied for, however, the testing process is<br />
still ongoing. MT<br />
www.vibers.nl<br />
tinyurl.com/fryingoil2phb<br />
Avantium opened pilot biorefinery<br />
Avantium; Amsterdam, The Netherlands officially opened<br />
a pilot biorefinery for its Zambezi technology in Delfzijl,<br />
Netherlands. The opening ceremonies took place in<br />
Amsterdam on 10 July and in Delfzijl on 13 July.<br />
The Delfzijl plant will pilot Avantium’s latest technology<br />
to convert plant-based non-food feedstock to high purity<br />
industrial sugars and lignin. The industrial sugars are used<br />
in chemistry and fermentation processes to produce a broad<br />
range of durable materials, while lignin is used in energy<br />
generation.<br />
Tom van Aken, Chief Executive Officer of Avantium, called<br />
the opening ‘a milestone in our work to support the transition<br />
to a circular economy’. “We are already looking beyond the<br />
pilot phase. We have a consortium of partners committed to<br />
developing a commercial-scale plant,” he said.<br />
Avantium previously announced it had founded a consortium<br />
to develop an ecosystem for the biorefinery technology. The<br />
consortium consists of AkzoNobel, RWE, Staatsbosbeheer<br />
and Chemport Europe, an incubator for green chemistry. Each<br />
brings specific expertise for the planned commercial-scale<br />
biorefinery.<br />
Gert-Jan Gruter, Chief Technology Officer of Avantium,<br />
said that “glucose is a core building block for the transition<br />
towards a bio-based economy”. He noted that all materials<br />
made from petroleum today can be replaced by with materials<br />
derived from glucose.<br />
Patrick Brouns, regional minister of the province of<br />
Groningen, is pleased to welcome Avantium to Delfzijl, and<br />
the “innovation, green chemistry and highly skilled jobs”<br />
the company is bringing to the region, which fit well with<br />
the existing local chemistry, energy and agricultural sectors<br />
and knowledge institutions. “With Chemport Europe, we also<br />
support the future commercial-scale biorefinery in Delfzijl, ”<br />
he said. MT<br />
www.avantium.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 7
News<br />
EU project seeks to improve<br />
sustainability in aviation industry<br />
Modern aircraft are made from synthetic, non-renewable<br />
materials. Many of these are composites such as carbon and<br />
glass-fibre-reinforced plastics that are man-made through<br />
energy-intense processes.<br />
To improve the sustainability of the aviation industry,<br />
researchers are investigating renewable and recycled<br />
materials to replace such composites. However, biobased<br />
and recycled alternatives must meet the strict requirements<br />
required for safe and efficient flight.<br />
The EU-funded ECO-COMPASS project has identified<br />
potential bio-sourced and recycled materials that can be<br />
developed into eco-friendly composites for aircraft. Fibre<br />
reinforcements are used throughout aircraft and can<br />
contribute more than half of their structural mass.<br />
The project team set out to look for alternative materials<br />
to create fibre reinforcements in planes and found that<br />
biobased fibres from plants and recycled carbon fibres have<br />
great potential. The team has also developed a biobased resin<br />
system that has promising properties for a range of in-aircraft<br />
applications.<br />
“The bio-materials, recycled carbon fibres and bio-resins<br />
should be suitable for use in the secondary structure and<br />
interior of aircraft,” says project coordinator Jens Bachmann<br />
of the German Aerospace Center (DLR, Deutsches Zentrum<br />
für Luft- und Raumfahrt). “They typically require less energy<br />
to produce than the materials used at present.”<br />
Collaboration with China<br />
Key to the success of this project is the collaboration with<br />
researchers in China and industrial partners such as Airbus<br />
and Comac. By working together on a global scale, experts are<br />
combining their knowledge and expertise so that sustainable<br />
composites will be available to the aviation industry globally.<br />
“The aviation industry continues to grow worldwide – global<br />
partnerships help us share knowledge and make rapid<br />
improvements to technologies,” notes Bachmann. “This<br />
collaboration has helped us learn more about fibres grown in<br />
China, such as ramie, that could be a good alternative to flax<br />
which is a standard fibre grown and used in Europe.<br />
“Now, we are improving their properties by combining<br />
Chinese expertise in materials development with European<br />
expertise in modelling and simulation.”<br />
Identifying the materials to develop<br />
In future, the composite materials identified and developed<br />
during this project could become a part of planes in the<br />
form of interior panelling, gear doors, winglets and other<br />
secondary structures. Initial results have shown that biobased<br />
composites made from flax and ramie plant fibres have the<br />
potential to be used in natural-fibre-reinforced plastics for<br />
aviation.<br />
In addition, the Sino-European team is developing a new<br />
biobased epoxy resin made from rosin derivatives obtained<br />
from conifer plants. It is likely that this technique of embedding<br />
natural fibres into the resin will enable one component of<br />
the fibre-reinforced composite to be replaced with biobased<br />
constituents.. MT<br />
tinyurl.com/biocomposites-aviation<br />
United Caps added bio-PE caps to its portfolio<br />
UNITED CAPS, an international manufacturer of caps and closures, has announced it is making significant progress on its<br />
growth initiatives.<br />
The company has completed an extension of its R&D facility in Messia, France, to meet the demands of business growth and<br />
deliver faster time to market for customers. It also recently acquired Spanish closures company Embalatap and has added<br />
bioplastics-based GREENER closures sourced from sugar cane and new anti-counterfeiting measures to its portfolio.<br />
In pursuit of more environmentally sustainable solutions, Uited Caps has collaborated with<br />
Braskem to deliver eco-friendly United Caps Greener bio-sourced plastic caps and closures<br />
made from sugar cane as an addition to the United Caps product portfolio.<br />
"We already have added bioplastics-based products to our portfolio: such as the victoria<br />
closure, a 30/25 screw closure designed for still drinks; and the Proflat Seal, ideal for dairy<br />
products and still drinks," said Benoit Henckes, CEO of United Caps. "These are being warmly<br />
received by our customers, and we expect their availability to drive new customer interest<br />
as well."<br />
www.unitedcaps.com<br />
generic photo<br />
8 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
www.pu-magazine.com<br />
Bäumer 4.0 – Enter the age of smart manufacturing. Industry 4.0 is more<br />
than a trend, it’s the future and it’s what Bäumer believes in. Our intelligent<br />
services pave the way to take your production into tomorrow, with the<br />
connected data and production systems that make your processes seamlessly<br />
easy, efficiently economical and predictably reliable.<br />
Bäumer 4.0 – log-in to tomorrow.<br />
WWW.BAEUMER.COM<br />
Anzeige-145x165-Digitalisierung-EN-18_4_18.indd 1 18.<strong>04</strong>.18 16:25<br />
Adiprene ® Urethan-Prepolymere nun ein<br />
Leistungsversprechen von LANXESS<br />
LANXESS Urethane Systems bekennt sich zum bewährten<br />
Qualitätsversprechen von Adiprene ® . Adiprene ® Prepolymere<br />
werden weltweit in den anspruchsvollsten Anwendungen<br />
verwendet und sind bekannt für ihre Verschleiß- und<br />
Abriebbeständigkeit und Tragfähigkeit. Der Kunde steht<br />
im Fokus unserer Aktivitäten, um gemeinsam individuelle<br />
Lösungen zu entwickeln. Lesen Sie mehr über uns unter<br />
http://ure.lanxess.com. Oder kontaktieren Sie uns direkt via Email<br />
michael.timm@lanxess.com. Wir freuen uns auf Sie!<br />
SmartFace<br />
SmartTraining<br />
SmartTrace<br />
SmartRemain<br />
Nähere Informationen zu unseren Industrie 4.0<br />
Produkten unter: www.smartconnect4u.biz<br />
Hansen & Rosenthal KG<br />
E-Mail: export.sales@hur.com<br />
www.hur.com<br />
Cover-Story<br />
New convenient and compostable waste<br />
bags have hit German retail stores<br />
Frankenthal, Germany-based RKW has launched a<br />
biodegradable star-sealed bag for organic household waste<br />
in Germany. Certified as fully compostable, it is also the first<br />
T-shirt star-sealed bag available on the market made from<br />
more than 50 % renewable PLA - material.<br />
For family-owned film manufacturer<br />
RKW, sustainability is an integral part of its<br />
business mission, and this includes the use<br />
of biodegradable or biobased films. RKW<br />
Vietnam, which is specialized in consumer<br />
packaging, produces the compostable bags<br />
in Ho Chi Minh City.<br />
Star-sealed, the new bag is created<br />
without gussets and sealed in a single spot,<br />
making it highly practical and virtually leakproof.<br />
For organic waste, many people use<br />
paper bags, which, while fully biodegradable, tend to become<br />
soggy and tear easily when taken out of the bin. The bags come<br />
with carrying handles that can be used to tie them shut, and<br />
the star-sealed bottom that consumers are familiar with from<br />
conventional plastic-based trash bags. Fully compostable and<br />
hence suited for organic waste, the bags will be supplied by<br />
major retailers.<br />
“RKW is a pioneer on the market,” says Manh-Hung Ngo,<br />
Product Manager at RKW Vietnam. “So far,<br />
bags with up to 40 % renewable content have<br />
been available in markets such as France<br />
or Italy. We were able to design bags with a<br />
significant higher proportion. Hence, these<br />
waste bags are another milestone towards<br />
a more sustainable future.” The bag is fully<br />
compostable and certified to European<br />
standard EN13432 by the DIN Certco<br />
institute in Berlin (Germany).<br />
The bag is suited for bins with different<br />
shapes and prevents the leakage of liquids.<br />
Multiple layers strengthen the bottom,<br />
avoiding damage to the bag. Combining the practical features<br />
with benefits in terms of sustainability, the new bags are a<br />
more environmentally friendly and a convenient option for<br />
consumers. MT<br />
www.rkw-group.com<br />
ALL ABOUT POLYMERS<br />
DKT <strong>2018</strong>-Vorbericht<br />
DKT <strong>2018</strong> preview<br />
tpe markets<br />
POLYURETHANES MAGAZINE INTERNATIONAL<br />
03/<strong>2018</strong> JUNE/JULY<br />
Interview with R. Trippler, Hennecke &<br />
E. Lombardini, OMS<br />
Blowing agents<br />
Polyisocyanurate insulation<br />
Additives for PIR rigid foams<br />
YOUR MACHINES AT YOUR<br />
FINGERTIPS.<br />
FORUM FÜR DIE POLYURETHANINDUSTRIE<br />
PU MAGAZIN<br />
03/<strong>2018</strong> Juli<br />
Interview mit N. Beyl, Fa. KraussMaffei<br />
Interview mit A. Fi l, Fa. Fi l<br />
Europäischer Weichschaummarkt<br />
CO 2 -basierte Polyole<br />
Polyisocyanurat-Dämmstoffe<br />
QUALITY PERFORMS.<br />
Qualität von LANXESS<br />
Fachmagazin für die Polymerindustrie<br />
SAVE<br />
THE DATE<br />
02. – 05. JULI<br />
Prognose für den Naturkautschukmarkt<br />
Amine in Kieselsäure/Silan-NR-Systemen<br />
Entwicklungen für Lkw-Reifen<br />
Schwefeldiffusion in Rezyklatmischungen<br />
DESMA 4.0<br />
PRODUKTE UND PROZESSE<br />
VERNETZEN.<br />
Your experts in rubber and<br />
silicone injection moulding.<br />
24/7<br />
Outlook for the NR market<br />
Shape memory polymers<br />
CO 2 diffusivity<br />
Magazine for the Polymer Industry<br />
Revisiting sulfur vulcanisation<br />
The Drop That Makes The Difference<br />
Hansen & Rosenthal is the Producer<br />
of Anti Ozone Waxes and Plasticizers<br />
sustainable edpm for tpv<br />
high molecular weight mineral oil<br />
3d printing of tpe<br />
dkt <strong>2018</strong> preview<br />
<br />
<br />
info@hexpolTPE.com<br />
www.hexpolTPE.com<br />
<br />
<br />
www.pu-magazin.de<br />
71. Jahrgang, Juni <strong>2018</strong><br />
06| <strong>2018</strong><br />
Volume 13, June <strong>2018</strong><br />
3| <strong>2018</strong><br />
Volume 9, April <strong>2018</strong><br />
2| <strong>2018</strong><br />
info@gupta-verlag.de · www.gupta-verlag.com<br />
Stay informed with our free newsletters:<br />
www.gupta-verlag.com/newsletter<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 9
Events<br />
organized by<br />
Co-organized by Jan Ravenstijn<br />
www.pha-world-congress.com<br />
Programme: 1st PHA platform World Congress<br />
Tuesday, Sep <strong>04</strong>, <strong>2018</strong><br />
08:45-09:15 Jan Ravenstijn Biomaterials Consulting Dealing with the opportunities and challenges of the PHA-platform.<br />
09:15-09:40 Mats Linder – circular economy consultant The role of PHA in a circular economy for plastics<br />
09:40-10:05 Andrew Falcon, FullCycle Bioplastics A Circular Economy Solution: PHA Bioplastics from Organic Waste<br />
10:05-10:30 Michael Carus, nova Institute<br />
11:10-11:35 Jos Lobée, Modified Materials<br />
Production capacities of bio-based polymers – status and outlook & political and<br />
social framework for further growth<br />
Replacing lead weights in angling, the long road from obvious<br />
problem to actual change.<br />
11:35-12:00 Erwin LePoudre, Kaneka Marketing of Biodegradable Polymer PHBH as a Solution to Plastic Waste <strong>Issue</strong>s<br />
Phil van Trump, Danimer<br />
12:00-12:30<br />
& Garry Kohl, PepsiCo<br />
Applications of PHA polymers in Barrier food packaging films<br />
12:30-12:55 Eligio Martini, MAIP The first biotechnopolymer: PHBH compounds, e.g. for electrical switches (ABB)<br />
14:05-14:30 Remy Jongboom, Biotec Industrial applications of PHBH in compounds<br />
14:30-14:55 Harald Kaeb, narocon Pitfalls and opportunities for marketing PHA products<br />
14:55-15:20 Sam Deconinck, OWS Biodegradation of PHAs: not simply a fixed feature<br />
Eike Langenberg &<br />
15:55-16:20<br />
Carsten Niermann, FKuR<br />
Meet the needs for future legislations: Innovative PHA compounds<br />
16:20-16:55 Fred Bollen, LifetecVision<br />
Exploiting competitive advantage and creating market attractiveness<br />
for PHA-polymers<br />
16:55-17:20 Karel Wilsens, AMIBM Nucleating agents for PHAs and other biopolymers<br />
Wednesday, Sep. 05, <strong>2018</strong><br />
08:40-09:05 Lenka Mynářová, Hydal/Nafigate PHA – Circular Economy Concept<br />
09:05-09:30 Ruud Rouleaux, Helian Polymers PHBV, manufacturing, applications and its use in 3D printing compounds.<br />
09:30-09:55 René Rozendal, Paques<br />
09:55-10:20 Martijn Bovee & Leon Korving – Phario High quality PHBV from wastewater<br />
10:55-11:20 Christophe Collet, Scion Research From pine to PHA products<br />
11:20-11:45 Li Teng, Bluepha<br />
Demonstration of PHBV production from waste streams at large scale: the link to<br />
the PHBV market<br />
Industrial-scale Low-cost P(3HB-co-4HB) Production via an open<br />
Fermentation Process<br />
11:45-12:10 Stefan Jockenhövel, AMIBM Role of Biodegradable Polymers for (Regenerative) Medicine<br />
12:10-12:35 Murray Hasinoff, Purcell Agri-Tech PHA coating for slow release fertilization<br />
13:50-14:15 Guy Buyle, Centexbel The use of PHA polymers for textile applications<br />
14:15-14:40 Molly Morse, Mango Materials Production of PHA-polymers from waste methane<br />
14:40-15:05 Shunsuke Sato, Kaneka<br />
Fermentative production of PHBH and metabolic engineering for regulation of its<br />
material properties<br />
15:40-16:05 Urs Hänggi, Biomer Virgin PHB has thermoplastic properties, but is not a thermoplast<br />
16:05-16:30 Silvia Kliem, IKT, Univ. Stuttgart Impact modification of PHB by building of a blockcopolymer<br />
16:30-17:05 Pieter Samyn, Hasselt University<br />
Formulation and processing of PHB with fibrillated cellulose for nanocomposite<br />
films and paper coatings<br />
Subject to changes. Please visit the conference website<br />
for the current version of the programme. Here you also<br />
find more info on the speakers ans well as abstracts of all<br />
presentations<br />
10 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
Automotive<br />
Register now<br />
<strong>04</strong>-05 Sep <strong>2018</strong><br />
Cologne, Germany<br />
organized by<br />
Co-organized by<br />
Jan Ravenstijn<br />
www.pha-world-congress.com<br />
PHA (Poly-Hydroxy-Alkanoates or polyhydroxy fatty acids)<br />
is a family of biobased polyesters. Examples for such<br />
Polyhydroxyalkanoates are PHB, PHV, PHBV, PHBH and<br />
many more. That’s why we speak about the PHA platform.<br />
Depending on the type of PHA, they can be used for applications<br />
in films and rigid packaging, biomedical applications,<br />
automotive, consumer electronics, appliances, toys, glues,<br />
adhesives, paints, coatings, fibers for woven and non-woven<br />
and inks. So PHAs cover a broad range of properties and<br />
applications.<br />
Also depending on the type, most PHAs are biodegradable in<br />
a wide range of environments, such as industrial and home<br />
composting, anaerobic digestion (AD), in soil, fresh- and even<br />
seawater.<br />
As PHAs are gaining more and more interest, bioplastics<br />
MAGAZINE and Jan Ravenstijn are now organizing the 1st PHAplatform<br />
World Congress on 4-5 September <strong>2018</strong> in Cologne<br />
/ Germany.<br />
Platinum Sponsor:<br />
Gold Sponsor:<br />
Silver Sponsor:<br />
Bronze Sponsor:<br />
1 st Media Partner<br />
Media Partner:<br />
MODERN<br />
PLASTICS<br />
INDIA<br />
Supported by:<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [03/18] Vol. 13 11
News<br />
IKEA and Neste go for bio-PE<br />
IKEA and Neste are now able to utilize renewable residue<br />
and waste raw materials, such as used cooking oil, as well<br />
as sustainably-produced vegetable oils in the production<br />
of plastic products. The pilot at commercial scale starts<br />
during fall <strong>2018</strong>. It will be the first large-scale production of<br />
renewable, biobased polypropylene plastic globally.<br />
Ikea wants to have a positive impact on people and the<br />
planet while growing the business, which includes using more<br />
renewable and recycled materials and explore new materials<br />
for Ikea products. As part of this journey, Ikea is working to<br />
change all of the plastic used in Ikea products to plastic based<br />
on recycled and/or renewable materials by 2030.<br />
By changing to plastic based on renewable material, Ikea<br />
can secure the production for the future, and eliminate the<br />
need for extraction of finite fossil fuel for the purpose of<br />
making plastic and thus reduce the impact on climate change.<br />
One of the ongoing projects towards eliminating virgin fossilbased<br />
raw materials in plastic products is a collaboration<br />
between Ikea and Neste, which was initiated in 2016. Thanks<br />
to this collaboration, Ikea and Neste are now able to turn<br />
waste and residue raw materials, such as used cooking oil, as<br />
well as sustainable vegetable oils into polypropylene (PP) and<br />
polyethylene (PE) plastic.<br />
“This new material represents a significant step towards<br />
a fossil free future. No one has ever before been able to<br />
produce PP<br />
plastic from<br />
a fossil-free<br />
raw material<br />
other than<br />
on a laboratory scale. Together with Neste, we are ensuring<br />
that there is an opportunity to scale up the production of this<br />
material”, says Erik Ljungblad, Category Manager Plastic<br />
Products at Ikea of Sweden.<br />
“The production of biobased plastics at a commercial<br />
scale is a major achievement in the cooperation between<br />
Neste and Ikea, while it also marks a significant milestone<br />
in Neste’s strategy. Ikea is the first company to benefit from<br />
the developed supply capability that helps companies and<br />
brand owners towards replacing fossil-based raw materials<br />
with sustainable biobased raw materials,” says Senior Vice<br />
President Tuomas Hyyryläinen from Neste’s Emerging<br />
Businesses business unit.<br />
The pilot at commercial scale of PP and PE plastic, chosen<br />
to contain 20 % renewable content, will start during fall <strong>2018</strong>.<br />
The production of biobased plastics will be based on Neste’s<br />
100 % renewable hydrocarbons. Ikea will use the new plastic<br />
in products that are part of the current product range, such<br />
as plastic storage boxes, starting with a limited number of<br />
products. As capacities improve, more products will follow. MT<br />
www.neste.com | www.ikea.com<br />
nova-Institute Events in <strong>2018</strong>/2019<br />
18 September <strong>2018</strong> · Airport Cologne/Bonn, Germany<br />
www.bio-based.eu/nova-sessions<br />
1 – 2 October <strong>2018</strong> · Maritim Hotel, Cologne, Germany<br />
www.REFAB.info<br />
6 – 8 November <strong>2018</strong> · Messe Stuttgart, Germany<br />
www.composites-europe.com<br />
20 – 21 March 2019 · Maternushaus, Cologne, Germany<br />
www.co2-chemistry.eu<br />
16 th International Conference<br />
of the European Industrial<br />
Hemp Association<br />
June 5 th – 6 th 2019<br />
15-16 May 2019 · Maternushaus, Cologne, Germany<br />
www.bio-based-conference.com<br />
5-6 June 2019 · Maternushaus, Cologne, Germany<br />
www.eiha-conference.org<br />
Contact: Mr. Dominik Vogt, +49 (0) 2233 48 14 49, dominik.vogt@nova-institut.de · All conferences at www.bio-based.eu<br />
12 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
io PAC<br />
organized by bioplastics MAGAZINE<br />
call for papers<br />
biobased packaging conference 28 - 29 may 2019 düsseldorf<br />
supported by<br />
Coorganized by<br />
www.greenserendipity.nl<br />
Packaging is necessary for:<br />
» protection during transport and storage<br />
» prevention of product losses<br />
» increasing shelf life<br />
» sharing product information and marketing<br />
BUT :<br />
Packaging does not necessarily need to be made from petroleum based plastics.<br />
Most packaging have a short life and therefore give rise to large quantities of waste.<br />
Accordingly, it is vital to use the most suitable raw materials and implement good<br />
‘end-of-life’ solutions. Biobased and compostable materials have a key role to play<br />
in this respect.<br />
Biobased packaging<br />
» is packaging made from mother nature‘s gifts.<br />
» can be made from renewable resources or waste streams<br />
» can offer innovative features and beneficial barrier properties<br />
» can help to reduces the depletion of finite fossil resources and CO 2<br />
emissions<br />
» can offer environmental benefits in the end-of-life phase<br />
» offers incredible opportunities.<br />
That‘s why bioplastics MAGAZINE (in cooperation with Green Serendipity is now<br />
organizing the third edition of bio!PAC<br />
Call for Papers now open: Please send your proposal to mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
www.bio-pac.info<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 13
Events<br />
Nature always finds the solution<br />
Bio-on inaugurated first plant for the production of special PHA bioplastics<br />
By Michael Thielen<br />
Bio-on (Bologna, Italy), a company that describes itself<br />
as an Intellectual Property Company (IPC) that supplies<br />
technologies to produce or use Polyhydroxyalkanoates-<br />
(PHAs) through licenses, officially inaugurated a production<br />
plant of its own during a ceremony on June 20 th . The new plant<br />
will produce PHB and PHBVV bioplastics for high added value<br />
niche markets such as the microbeads used in the cosmetics<br />
sector.<br />
All PHA bioplastics developed by Bio-on under the brand<br />
name Minerv are made from renewable plant sources<br />
with no competition with food supply chains. They guarantee<br />
the same thermo-mechanical properties as comparable<br />
conventional plastics with the advantage of being 100% ecosustainable<br />
and naturally biodegradable<br />
The new plant is located in Castel San Pietro Terme, near<br />
Bologna, Italy. The theme of the grand opening was “La natura<br />
trova sempre la soluzione” (Nature always finds the solution).<br />
In an impressive multimedia presentation, Bio-on’s<br />
Chairman and CEO Marco Astorri first showed to the more<br />
than 300 invited guests the shocking reality of marine<br />
pollution caused by plastic waste. Video clips showed birds<br />
on a picturesque Pacific atoll, dead from ingesting bottle tops<br />
and other litter they had mistakenly thought to be food.<br />
Astorri then showed a few ancient 1950s commercials and<br />
the famous scene from “The Graduate”, in which plastics are<br />
lauded as the material of the future, The further presentation<br />
focused on the use of microbeads in cosmetics: an exemplary<br />
case of plastic waste that is literally washed down the drain.<br />
These microbeads, which serve as thickeners or stabilisers<br />
in such widely used products as lipstick, lip gloss, mascara,<br />
eye-liner, nail polish, creams, shampoo, foam bath and even<br />
toothpaste, pollute the environment; once they are rinsed off<br />
after use, they become a permanent part of the natural cycle:<br />
they are swallowed by plankton in the rivers and seas and<br />
thus enter the food chain, to ultimately end up on our plates.<br />
The level of pollution is so serious that the USA was the<br />
first country to bring in a law (Microbead-Free Waters Act<br />
of 2015) banning the use of oil-based polymers in body care<br />
products. Some countries, such as Canada, UK, Sweden and<br />
France, recently followed suit while others, such as Ireland,<br />
Netherlands, Italy, have announced they will do so, as stated<br />
in Bio-on’s press release accompanying the inauguration.<br />
This provided a convenient segue to introduce PHAs as a<br />
family or platform of biobased and biodegradable polyesters<br />
in general - and the Minerv PHAs which are to be produced in<br />
the new plant, in particular. The first product to be produced<br />
at the new plant will be Minerv Bio Cosmetics, the bioplastic<br />
microbeads for cosmetics designed to replace the oil-based<br />
and non-biodegradable plastic particles currently used<br />
Using Minerv Bio Cosmetics bioplastic in cosmetics<br />
products eliminates these pollutants because the micro<br />
particles of bioplastic are naturally biodegradable in water<br />
and, therefore, do not enter the food chain. What is more,<br />
the biopolymer developed at the Bio-on laboratories actually<br />
decomposes into a nutrient for some micro-organisms and<br />
plants present in nature. The benefit for the environment is<br />
therefore two-fold.<br />
In his presentation Marco Astorri went on to introduce<br />
Professor Jian Yu from the University of Hawaii in Manoa,<br />
with whom Bio-on has been working for 10 years on<br />
the development of their Minerv PHA products. And the<br />
cooperation will continue. “We have big and (still) secret plans<br />
for the future,” Marco Astorri said with a smile.<br />
The new plant is located on a plot measuring some<br />
30,000 m 2 ; it has 3,700 m 2 covered space and 6,000 m 2 land<br />
for development. The current production capacity is 1,000<br />
tonnes per year, rapidly expandable to 2,000 tonnes/a. The<br />
plant, managed by Bio-on Plants, the division responsible<br />
for production, future expansion and new plants, is equipped<br />
with the very latest technologies and the most advanced<br />
research laboratories. Here, over 20 researchers in the CNS<br />
division (Cosmetic, Nanomedicine & Smart Materials) can<br />
test new carbon sources from agricultural waste to produce<br />
new types of biodegradable bioplastic and increase the<br />
range of technologies offered by Bio-on. The company also<br />
demonstrates its focus on sustainability in its choice of site,<br />
opting to convert a former factory without occupying any new<br />
land. The overall investment in the production hub and new<br />
research laboratories is EUR 20 million.<br />
“We are very pleased because since March 2017, when the<br />
first stone was laid, we have kept to our schedule and kept<br />
the promises we made to the market,” says Marco Astorri.<br />
“Our technicians and partners have been incredibly reliable<br />
throughout the process.”<br />
“Like all complex industrial plants, the new production hub<br />
is running a series of tests before becoming fully operational<br />
in autumn. The entire production cycle is run from an<br />
innovative control room at the heart of the plant,” explains<br />
Riccardo Casoni, Bio-on Plants director, “and this is where<br />
the entire industrial process will be tested before production<br />
begins 24/7.<br />
The new production hub is also the headquarters of the<br />
Business Unit RAF (Recovery And Fermentation), which<br />
develops and optimises bioplastic fermentation and extraction<br />
processes to obtain the best possible product yield; and<br />
CNS (Cosmetic, Nanomedicine & Smart Materials), which<br />
uses cutting-edge scientific equipment to test new types of<br />
bioplastic and develop new applications. The areas of operation<br />
are Cosmetics, Nanomedicine, Biomedical, Nutraceuticals,<br />
Bioremediation, Organic Electronics and Advanced Materials.<br />
CNS laboratories are the base for over 20 researchers from<br />
various parts of the world and many different scientific<br />
disciplines, such as chemistry, physics, biology, pharmacy,<br />
14 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
Save the date<br />
Events<br />
see page 10-11 for details<br />
materials engineering, biotechnologies, electronics, and mathematics<br />
with an average age of 30.<br />
In the meantime Bio-on announced that it has successfully<br />
completed the first test phase. So far, all tests have been successful<br />
and performed on schedule. “As announced during the inauguration,<br />
we expect to be fully operational by autumn” explained Riccardo<br />
Casoni, “and to be able to produce and to market as early as <strong>2018</strong> a<br />
quantity of PHAs micro powders of about 150 tonnes”.<br />
“Respecting the project deadlines and being able to increase the<br />
production is fundamental”, said Marco Astorri, “since it does not escape<br />
anyone that the new European directive on the reduction of pollution<br />
caused by traditional plastic, which the European Parliament will have<br />
to approve in September, will open a huge market for biodegradable<br />
plastics. And Bio-on has a unique competitive advantage since our<br />
bioplastic is 100 % biodegradable not only on land but also in water”.<br />
Marco Astorri opening the presentation<br />
In a separate meeting on the sidelines of the inauguration in June<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE spoke to Diego Torresan, Business Development<br />
Manager of Bio-on.<br />
Asked about my introductory sentence of this article, Diego confirmed<br />
tha Bio-on is not the standard biopolymer producer. Their core business<br />
is and will continue to be related to the intellectual properties. So their<br />
main customers are companies that own the biomass, or plastic users<br />
that want to convert from oil-based to renewably based plastics or as<br />
a third group companies that want to buy the biomass and produce<br />
PHA for the plastic users. And the inauguration of the new plant<br />
- a reference plant - does not change this core business, as Diego<br />
emphasised. The products from the new plant - powders - will be used<br />
and sold as powders, mainly for these cosmetic applications or to do<br />
more research, “just like the polymers coming from the pilot plant that<br />
we are running since 2011”, Diego said.<br />
Apart from the cosmetics sector, Bio-on sees a lot of similar niche<br />
markets, such as nanomedical applications, industrial 3D-printing,<br />
and a lot of application in agriculture, e.g. for controlled release<br />
encapsulation and the like. Possible market segments can also be<br />
found in structural applications such as furniture, automotive parts<br />
or toys. Another interesting field of application the so-called bioremediation.<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE reported in issue <strong>04</strong>/2017 about Bioon’s<br />
revolutionary new technology to eliminate oil pollution in the sea<br />
within 3 weeks.<br />
Claudio Luti, President of Kartell (left) and Marco Astorri<br />
Grand Opening Ceremony and Party<br />
Another question concerned the abovementioned renewable plant<br />
sources with no competition with food supply chains. Diego explained<br />
that the sources for Minerv resins are agro-industrial co-products such<br />
as the molasses from sugar cane, crude glycerol from the biodiesel<br />
production or co-products from dates to name just a few.<br />
Concerning potential pressure from shareholders Diego said that<br />
the company that was founded and owned by Marco Astorri and Guy<br />
Cicognani only sold 10% of the company to shareholdes in 2014. Today<br />
30% is owned by shareholders, so there is no pressure influencing any<br />
decisions.<br />
www.bio-on.com<br />
The new plant (Photo:Bio-on)<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 15
Blow moulding<br />
No message in the bottle –<br />
NaKu’s PLA bottle offers a responsible alternative<br />
Established in 2007, Vienna, Austria-based NaKu has<br />
garnered acclaim for its use of innovative technologies<br />
in the development of sustainable packaging solutions.<br />
NaKu launched its first plant-based bottle for exclusive<br />
customers back in 2011 and has since built up extensive<br />
experience in meeting the challenges regarding production,<br />
filling and shelf life.<br />
“Our NaKu bottle is now used by special customers, who<br />
are breaking new ground in packaging solutions,” says<br />
Johann Zimmermann, Managing Director of NaKu.<br />
Conventional bottles claim to be made without harmful<br />
substances such as phthalates, Bisphenol A (BPA), antimony<br />
or endocrine disrupting substances. The NaKu bottle offers<br />
all of that, but much more as well. As it is made from PLA,<br />
the NaKu bottle is derived from 100 % renewable resources.<br />
Its uniqueness is due to the main ingredient, lactic acid, a<br />
natural compound that is also produced and metabolized<br />
in the human body. Non-toxic and environmentally friendly,<br />
lactic acid is naturally present in many foodstuffs, and<br />
therefore also edible (E270, consumption without any limit<br />
according to EFSA positive listing 2011).<br />
The PLA used to produce the NaKu bottle is obtained from<br />
sugar or starch. The bottle is about 10 times cheaper and 20<br />
times lighter than comparable solutions made out of glass.<br />
It is the ideal packaging material for still water, fruit<br />
juices, smoothies and milk products as well as solid foods,<br />
including pills, herbs, sweets, nutritional supplements and<br />
much more. Even cosmetics may someday be packaged in<br />
PLA packaging.<br />
“For me as a (bio)plastics technician, it doesn’t matter<br />
which kind of form I produce. Of course I am also able to<br />
produce cans, container, basins, and bowls etc… whatever<br />
you need for your product package,” asserts Johann<br />
Zimmermann.<br />
The NaKu bottle is fully biodegradable and can be<br />
incinerated in a carbon neutral natural cycle. But PLA is<br />
also recyclable, which is the preferred option for the NaKu<br />
bottle in the future. However, until production of the bottles<br />
reaches the critical volume needed to make recycling<br />
commercially feasible , waste-to-energy incineration<br />
remains, at least for now, the best end- of-life solution.<br />
“Our aim is the use of natural plastics to design the next<br />
generation of convenient products satisfying both economic<br />
and ecologic requirements. Short transport distances and<br />
local production is the key to keep this cycle as small as<br />
possible,” Zimmermann says, thereby setting the bar high.<br />
To meet this standard, the material must have a minimal<br />
environmental impact and comply with the concept of<br />
closed cycles (cradle to cradle). The properties of the<br />
material used for the bottle are very similar to PET and it is<br />
easy to process on conventional machines. Hence there is<br />
no need to buy new equipment in order to produce the PLA<br />
bottle. Due to the 7 % weight advantage, fewer transports<br />
are required, and CO 2<br />
emissions can be drastically reduced.<br />
Further reduction in emissions – up to by 50 % - is possible<br />
during the production process itself, as processing takes<br />
place at lower temperatures and requires less energy. The<br />
carbon footprint of these bottles is 75 % lower compared to<br />
glass bottles.<br />
16 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
Blow moulding<br />
the bottle is the message!<br />
to conventional options<br />
By:<br />
Johann Zimmermann<br />
NaKu, Vienna, Austria<br />
The material is biodegradable under certain conditions.<br />
However, this should be communicated very carefully, as<br />
it should not encourage people to litter. Biodegradability<br />
is never an excuse for littering nor is it a solution for<br />
littering. Proper disposal, whether through waste-toenergy<br />
incineration, recycling (when feasible) or industrial<br />
composting where possible, should always to be pursued.<br />
The NaKu bottle is safe to use, light, break resistant and<br />
cheap. More importantly, it offers options for responsible<br />
disposal at the end of its life cycle and is the first plantbased<br />
bottle that leaves no trace behind, either in the body<br />
or in nature.<br />
In a nutshell: the innovative NaKu bottle is clear and<br />
bright, can be dyed and individual designed, it is stiff and<br />
firm, break resistant, safe to use, 7 % lighter than PET,<br />
suitable to food, stable to oils, fats and water. The bottle can<br />
be used at temperatures up to 55-65 °C. First transparent<br />
prototypes can withstand 90°C and NaKu is working to<br />
improve this. More importantly, being reusable, recyclable<br />
and biodegradable under certain conditions it offers options<br />
for responsible disposal at the end of its life cycle. And it<br />
is available for competitive prices. NaKu also offers caps<br />
made of bio-PE as well as compostable PLA labels and<br />
shrink sleeves.<br />
The bottle made of plants is the first of its kind that leaves<br />
no trace behind in the body or in nature.<br />
www.naku.at<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 17
Blow moulding<br />
100 % biobased PET bottle<br />
closer to reality<br />
Commercializing cost-competitive renewable aromatics<br />
Momentum is building as Anellotech, headquartered at Pearl River New York, USA, moves closer to<br />
commercializing its Bio-TCat TM catalytic technology and developing a 100 % biobased PET bottle.<br />
A<br />
sustainable technology company, Anellotech is focused<br />
on the innovative production of cost-competitive<br />
renewable chemicals and fuels from non-food<br />
biomass. Their Bio-TCat technology uses efficient thermal<br />
catalytic processes to converts biomass feedstocks materials<br />
(e.g. wood, sawdust, sugar cane bagasse, and other<br />
non-food materials) into BTX aromatics (a mixture of benzene,<br />
toluene and xylene) which are chemically identical to<br />
petroleum-based counterparts. They can be used in a range<br />
of chemical applications and as a biofuels blendstock for<br />
gasoline.<br />
The first shipment of BTX has recently been sent to joint<br />
development partners IFPEN and its subsidiary Axens (both<br />
Rueil-Malmaison, Paris, France) for purification studies to<br />
make bio-paraxylene – the key aromatic chemical needed<br />
to make 100% renewable beverage bottles a reality. Bioparaxylene<br />
from TCat-8 ® will be used to make purified<br />
terephthalic acid (PTA) and subsequently 100% bio-based<br />
PET bottles a reality. The other monomer, monoethylene<br />
glycol (MEG) to make fully biobased PET is already<br />
commercially available made from sugar cane.<br />
BTX aromatics are currently used to make commodity<br />
plastics such as polyester, polystyrenes, polycarbonates,<br />
nylons and polyurethanes, which are subsequently used<br />
to manufacture consumer goods such as food packaging,<br />
clothing, footwear, carpeting, automotive and electronic<br />
components – as well as beverage bottles. Creating<br />
biobased BTX aromatics from renewable materials could<br />
dramatically alter the basic raw material sourcing for a<br />
wide range of consumer goods with important sustainability<br />
implications for society.<br />
Striving for 100 % bio-based<br />
Anellotech knows that strategic collaboration is key for<br />
faster and more efficient technology development. One of<br />
their main partnerships is with global consumer beverage<br />
company Suntory (Minato, Tokyo, Japan). Anellotech has<br />
collaborated with them since 2012 to advance development<br />
and commercialization of cost-competitive bio-aromatics,<br />
including bio-paraxylene.<br />
Suntory currently uses plant-derived MEG (30 %) for its<br />
Mineral Water Suntory Tennensui ® brands. Together, the<br />
two companies want to create a 100 % biobased PET bottle<br />
through this alliance, part of their joint commitment to<br />
sustainable business practices.<br />
Work is progressing to make this a reality. The first steps<br />
towards making prototype bottles have already begun. Since<br />
the announcement of a successful two-week continuous<br />
18 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
Blow moulding<br />
trial in March <strong>2018</strong> in Anellotech’s pilot plant in Silsbee,<br />
Texas, USA, over 1,200 hours of cumulative on-stream time<br />
have been achieved at TCat-8, while BTX has been generated<br />
for product testing and evaluation and process development<br />
data collected for future commercial plant design.<br />
David Sudolsky, President & CEO of Anellotech, said<br />
“Following our announcements earlier this year on process<br />
development and continuous operation, we are glad that<br />
significant progress continues at our TCat-8 pilot plant. We<br />
continue to move the technology towards commercialization<br />
and shipping the pilot plant’s product for downstream<br />
evaluation is another major milestone. Having collaborated<br />
with Suntory since 2012 to advance development of costcompetitive<br />
bio-aromatics, we hope bio-based plastics<br />
made from our Bio-TCat process and a 100 % biobased<br />
(PET) bottle soon become a reality.”<br />
Anellotech is keen to partner with other innovative<br />
consumer product companies and brand owners aiming<br />
to meet sustainability goals with a low carbon footprint<br />
technology using non-food biomass feedstock. Producing<br />
BTX aromatics using the Bio-TCat technology can<br />
dramatically reduce industrial carbon footprints and provide<br />
a reliable and economical source of bio-aromatics.<br />
A biobased future is a more sustainable future<br />
If the industry can ensure performance, delivery and<br />
quality, the renewable chemicals sector will help take biobased<br />
chemicals into the mainstream.<br />
Anellotech is confident that biobased plastics made<br />
from its Bio-TCat process are becoming ever-closer to<br />
commercial status and they hope the dream for a 100 %<br />
bio-based bottle soon becomes a reality. MT<br />
www.anellotech.com<br />
Join us at the<br />
13th European Bioplastics<br />
Conference<br />
– the leading business forum for the<br />
bioplastics industry.<br />
4/5 December <strong>2018</strong><br />
Titanic Chaussee Hotel<br />
Berlin, Germany<br />
REGISTER<br />
NOW!<br />
@EUBioplastics #eubpconf<br />
www.european-bioplastics.org/events<br />
For more information email:<br />
conference@european-bioplastics.org<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 19
Blow Moulding / Bottle Applications<br />
New bio-MEG<br />
demonstration plant<br />
Avantium N.V., a leading technology development<br />
company and forerunner in renewable chemistry, has<br />
started construction of a new demonstration plant<br />
that will help advance the production of bio-based monoethylene<br />
glycol (MEG) made directly from renewable sugars.<br />
As MEG is a component for making everyday consumer<br />
goods, such as PET and PEF (cf. pp. 48) plastics and<br />
polyester textiles, the development of an environmentally<br />
friendly plant-based alternative has strong potential. Today,<br />
more than 99% of MEG is produced from fossil resources<br />
and the market demand for this product is expected to<br />
grow from 28 million to 50 million tons in the next 20 years.<br />
Biobased MEG, as for example used for bio-PET30 (e.g.<br />
Coca-Cola Plant Bottle) has been available for quite a<br />
while, mainly from India or Brazil.<br />
“Our novel single-step process can finally fulfil this<br />
demand in an environmentally sustainable manner that<br />
both consumers and leading brands have been seeking. I am<br />
proud of our team for making this important technological<br />
breakthrough. This enables renewable products growth for<br />
consumers that increasingly demand products brought to<br />
them in a responsible manner,” said Tom van Aken, Chief<br />
Executive Officer of Avantium.<br />
The new plant will use Avantium’s pioneering Mekong<br />
technology to convert renewable sugars into bio-based<br />
MEG. The plant – part of a previously disclosed €15-20<br />
million investment in our most advanced technologies – will<br />
be operational in 2019, employing up to 20 people.<br />
Alongside this important investment decision by<br />
Avantium, the European Innovation Council has selected the<br />
Mekong technology as part of its €146 million investment in<br />
top-class innovators, entrepreneurs, small companies and<br />
scientists with bright ideas and the ambition to scale up<br />
internationally. “We are honored to be selected among the<br />
79 innovative projects following face-to-face interviews with<br />
a jury of innovators, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists,”<br />
said Van Aken.<br />
The objectives of the demonstration plant are to scale<br />
up the novel bio-MEG technology, validate the technical<br />
and economic feasibility of the process, and to collect<br />
data to execute an environmental life-cycle analysis (LCA)<br />
quantifying the sustainability benefits of the Avantium<br />
technology. The demonstration plant site has not yet been<br />
announced, said the company, who added it was in the<br />
process of deciding between two locations. Construction<br />
will take place at an offsite location to control environmental<br />
conditions for complex chemistry and to protect the<br />
intellectual property of the technology. The plant will be<br />
delivered fully assembled to the chosen location and is<br />
expected to be completed in the second half of 2019.<br />
“This is a major step forward in the development of<br />
our Mekong technology,” said Zanna McFerson, Chief<br />
Business Development Officer of Avantium. “In addition to<br />
the environmental benefits, this demonstration plant will<br />
replicate commercial scale conditions of producing costeffective<br />
bio-MEG; a drop-in product identical to the fossilderived<br />
product. We are exploring partnership opportunities<br />
in bringing this technology to full-scale commercialization<br />
globally.” MT<br />
www.avantium.com<br />
Monoethylen glycol (MEG)<br />
20 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
Blow Moulding / Bottle Applications<br />
VELOX offers newly developed<br />
transparent bio-plastic by SK<br />
Chemicals for hot-fill applications<br />
(Photo Syda Productions/Fotolia)<br />
Bio-copolyester for<br />
cans and bottles<br />
Newly developed transparent bio-plastic as an alternative to<br />
aluminium for aerosols and to heat-set PET for hot-fill applications<br />
VELOX and SK Chemicals recently presented ECOZEN<br />
HF ® , a bio-copolyester range especially suitable for the<br />
aerosol and food packaging industries<br />
VELOX GmbH (Hamburg, Germany), one of Europe’s leading<br />
solution providers of raw material specialities for the plastics,<br />
composites, additives and paint & coatings industries, and<br />
its long-term partner SK Chemicals Co. Ltd. (Seongnam,<br />
Gyeonggi-do province, South Korea) are presenting the next<br />
innovation for plastic packaging applications such as aerosol<br />
containers as well as cosmetic and hot fill bottles. Ecozen HF<br />
is a newly developed bio-copolyester range that is perfectly<br />
suitable for aluminum, glass and pet replacement wherever<br />
heat and pressure resistance combined with transparency is<br />
required. first customers have already started sampling the<br />
grades.<br />
“Ecozen HF has similar processing requirements to PET<br />
and can be used in the same injection-stretch blow moulding<br />
(ISBM) process. However, the new grades by SK Chemicals<br />
perform perfectly in areas where PET can sometimes fail,<br />
such as in high temperature and high-pressure applications”,<br />
explains François Minec, General Manager at Velox. “For<br />
example, PET is sometimes used to produce aerosol bottles.<br />
These bottles can often fail due to high residual stress and<br />
the low temperature resistance of PET, especially in the<br />
summer months when possible leakage is the result. Ecozen<br />
HF offers an ideal alternative here.”<br />
Besides remarkable resistance to pressure, stresscracking<br />
and high temperatures, Ecozen HF is characterised<br />
by excellent transparency and easy processing. As a glass<br />
replacement, e.g. for food packaging, it not only helps to<br />
reduce weight and transportation costs but can also be<br />
used to produce hot-fill containers without the need for<br />
an expensive PET heat-setting process or the need for<br />
crystallising the bottle or jar neck. Similarly, as an aluminum<br />
substitute in the cosmetics packaging industry, Ecozen HF<br />
combines high pressure-resistance with design flexibility<br />
and transparency. In addition, Ecozen HF is totally miscible<br />
with PET in the recycling stream. MT<br />
www.velox.com | www.skchemicals.com<br />
HIGH WE DRIVE THROUGHPUT. THE<br />
DIAMEETS CIRCULAR ECONOMY. QUALITY.<br />
Whether it is inhouse, postconsumer<br />
or bottle recycling:<br />
you can only close loops in a<br />
precise and profitable way if<br />
machines are perfectly tuned<br />
for the respective application.<br />
Count on the number 1<br />
technology from EREMA<br />
when doing so: over 5000<br />
of our machines and systems<br />
produce around 14 million<br />
tonnes of high-quality pellets<br />
like this every year –<br />
in a highly efficient and<br />
energy-saving way.<br />
That’s Careformance!<br />
CAREFORMANCE<br />
We care about your performance.<br />
1710013ERE_ins_bioplastics magazine.indd 1 bioplastics MAGAZINE 18.10.17 [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 14:313 21
Application AutomotiveNews<br />
Foldable reusabel transport packaging<br />
WALTHER Faltsysteme sets new standards for<br />
sustainability in returnable logistics: The specialist for<br />
foldable reusable transport packaging presents for the first<br />
time a plastic folding box, 93 % of which was produced from<br />
renewable raw materials (a blend of sugar based resins,<br />
minerals and natural waxes). The folding<br />
box will initially be available in the<br />
external dimensions 600 x<br />
400 x 220 mm. The future<br />
areas of application for<br />
the innovative container<br />
are diverse: standard<br />
dimensions and the latest<br />
RFID technology guarantee<br />
reliable processes from highly<br />
automated intralogistics and supplier<br />
transport to the use in stores. With this<br />
pilot project, Walther Faltsysteme is further<br />
developing its proven GREENLINE product range: the<br />
company manufactures 100 % of its Greenline transport<br />
boxes from regenerative plastic.<br />
The latest innovation in the Greenline product line is<br />
produced by injection moulding and shall be available in<br />
all colours. Reason for the further development from using<br />
regenerative plastics towards using more and more lastics<br />
from renewable raw materials is the increasing demand<br />
for lean and environmentally friendly reusable transport<br />
packaging in all sectors. “With around 17 million tonnes of<br />
packaging waste per year, producers, suppliers and dealers<br />
are looking for an efficient solution. The product<br />
development of a folding box made of<br />
renewable raw materials brings<br />
us one step closer to our goal of a<br />
low-pollution recycling economy”,<br />
explains Thomas Walther, Managing<br />
Director of Walther Faltsysteme.<br />
The Greenline product line convinces<br />
with its sustainable development concept:<br />
with proper handling, the containers score<br />
with a comparatively long service life of<br />
around 100 cycles. The regenerative material<br />
can also be used for about two to three additional<br />
product life cycles after the recycling process. Walther<br />
Faltsysteme has already circulated more than 500,000<br />
transport containers made of regenerative material. MT<br />
www.faltbox.com<br />
New organic almondmilk<br />
with cashew in its first plant based bottle<br />
or fewer, such as vanilla extract and responsibly sourced<br />
coconut sugar. These new nutmilks avoid excessive use of<br />
stabilizers and thickeners, allowing the taste of the real<br />
ingredients to shine.<br />
“Every ingredient has a purpose, and every flavor comes to<br />
life in its own unique way,” said Aubrey Yuzva, Senior Brand<br />
Manager, So Delicious Dairy Free. “It’s so delicious, you’ll be<br />
so surprised it’s such a simple recipe with no extra.”<br />
So Delicious ® Dairy Free, Eugene, Oregon, makers of<br />
delicious dairy-free foods and beverages, is expanding its<br />
nutmilks with the launch of three new So Delicious Organic<br />
Almondmilks with Cashew – in primarily plant-based<br />
packaging, i.e. bottle mede of Braskem’s Green PE. A leader<br />
in dairy-free products for the past 30 years, So Delicious has<br />
made its mark on the industry with over 100 delicious dairyfree<br />
choices.<br />
The brand continues its legacy with this launch of organic<br />
almondmilk with cashew, which has seven ingredients<br />
In an effort to continue to grow as a clean and sustainable<br />
brand, So Delicious has also developed the first primarily<br />
plant-based bottle in the refrigerated dairy case for the new<br />
line of organic almondmilk with cashew, so consumers can<br />
fall in love with the bottle, too. The recyclable bottles are at<br />
least 80 % plant-based, reducing the brand’s dependence<br />
on fossil fuels.<br />
Their latest Non-GMO Project Verified, Gluten-Free,<br />
Certified Vegan and Certified Organic nutmilk is available in<br />
three flavors; vanilla, unsweetened and original, all of which<br />
are 50 calories or fewer per serving. Each flavor includes<br />
cashews for added creaminess and is free of carrageenan,<br />
artificial flavors, artificial colors, dairy and soy. MT<br />
www.sodeliciousdairyfree.com<br />
22 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
Application Automotive News<br />
Materials from Total Corbion PLA used to build<br />
world’s first biobased circular car<br />
The world’s first biobased circular car, designed and<br />
built in the Netherlands by the Technical University of<br />
Eindhoven, was presented earlier this month by the team<br />
of students responsible for its design and realization.<br />
This is the first time that a car chassis and all bodywork<br />
has been made from natural and biobased materials - no<br />
metal or traditional plastics were used for the structural<br />
parts of the car. The parts are made up of light and strong<br />
sandwich panels, based on natural fiber flax and Luminy ®<br />
PLA supplied by Total Corbion PLA.<br />
The car, named Noah by the TU/ecomotive student team,<br />
was designed as a city car and features two seats and a<br />
spacious trunk. Noah is currently undertaking a European<br />
tour of car manufacturers, suppliers and universities to<br />
inspire others.<br />
In addition to its biobased composition, it is also ultralight<br />
and electrically-powered. Noah reaches a top speed<br />
of 110 km/h and the battery range lasts up to 240 km. At<br />
360kg, the weight of the car excluding batteries is less than<br />
half the weight of comparable production cars. In addition<br />
to being biobased, the parts are also recyclable, resulting<br />
in a 100% circular car, sustainable in all life phases.<br />
The PLA supplied by Total Corbion PLA for use in the<br />
car is biobased and recyclable and made from renewable<br />
resources, offering a reduced carbon footprint versus<br />
many traditional plastics. High heat Luminy PLA grades<br />
were used to construct the car, in order to ensure durability<br />
and sufficient heat resistance.<br />
François de Bie, Senior Marketing Director at Total Corbion<br />
PLA, is pleased with the achievement: ‘The result of this<br />
fantastic project shows just how far biobased materials have<br />
come, to produce such a complex product as a car. Noah is the<br />
proof that PLA is suitable for so much more than packaging.<br />
This is the first ever car to feature a fully biobased chassis<br />
and body panels. At Total Corbion PLA, we look forward to<br />
working together with the entire value chain to bring more<br />
high performance, durable and circular applications to<br />
market’. MT<br />
www.tuecomotive.nl | www.total-corbion.com<br />
Sustainable skin care products in sustainable packaging<br />
Denmark-based grums Aarhus produces scrub products<br />
without microbeads. Their secret ingredient? Coffee<br />
grounds.<br />
According to grums, coffee grounds refresh and firm<br />
the skin, are anti-inflammatory and enhance<br />
the circulation. Best of all, they don’t harm the<br />
environment when they go down the drain.<br />
For this company, choosing the right packaging<br />
was very important. Braskem’s I’m Green sugarbased<br />
polyethylene offered the sustainablility<br />
credentials grums was looking for. The company<br />
opted to plant-based plastic for all its packaging<br />
and by doing so, will significantly reduce the carbon<br />
footprint of its packaging, as well as the use of fossil<br />
resources. For every kg of I’m green polyethylene<br />
used ,more than 5 kg of CO 2 is saved.<br />
“We contacted more than 50 packaging suppliers to<br />
find exactly what we needed - a green solution. When<br />
making an innovative and sustainable product as a<br />
brand you also want the packaging of the product<br />
to share the same values. By using packaging<br />
made from sugar cane our products are complete. This<br />
is also one of our selling points and it adds storytelling to<br />
our products which we, and our customers, enjoy. We are<br />
very glad that Braskem is making these greener solutions<br />
that we want to support and make use of in our company,”<br />
says Mikkel Knudsen, founder of grums.Their latest<br />
Non-GMO Project Verified, Gluten-Free, Certified<br />
Vegan and Certified Organic nutmilk is available in<br />
three flavors; vanilla, unsweetened and original, all of<br />
which are 50 calories or fewer per serving. Each flavor<br />
includes cashews for added creaminess and is free of<br />
carrageenan, artificial flavors, artificial colors, dairy and<br />
soy. MT<br />
www.grumsaarhus.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 23
Applications<br />
Natural fibres for motorsports<br />
Bcomp’s high performance renewable fibres vs. standard carbon fiber<br />
layup for motorsports<br />
• Maintained performance at lower weight, or increased<br />
stiffness at maintained weight (compared to standard<br />
carbon fibre composites)<br />
• Safer crash behaviour without sharp shattering, and<br />
increased vibration damping<br />
• Up to 30 % cost savings<br />
• Lower eco footprint – more sustainable material, less<br />
material, and used material can be taken care of within<br />
the standard waste management system<br />
Bcomp, Fribourg / Switzerland announced a few new<br />
applications in motosports applications. The Flax fibre<br />
based powerRibs proprietary reinforcement technology<br />
forms a unique grid that supports thin-walled shell<br />
structures for e.g. motorsport body parts or automotive<br />
interiors. Combining extremely high performance (stiffness,<br />
vibration damping) with low weight, safer crash behaviour,<br />
powerRibs can be combined with ampliTex technical<br />
fabrics for a high-performance, full flax panel; alternatively,<br />
the flax-based powerRibs can also be combined to a glassor<br />
carbon fibre base.<br />
The ampliTex technical fabrics combine the finest flax<br />
fibres with a radical composites approach, and Bcomp’s<br />
cutting edge natural fibre know-how. This results in the<br />
highest performing natural fibre fabrics on the market,<br />
yielding the perfect partner for powerRibs to form superior<br />
lightweight panels with high vibration damping, stiffness<br />
and safer crash behaviour, all using natural flax fibres.<br />
DAB Motors for Yamaha, Biarritz<br />
The Alter XSR900 commissioned by Yamaha is a prime<br />
example of Simon Dabadie‘s (founder of DAB motors)<br />
constant search to push the limits of motorcycle building<br />
using the latest technology and materials to create<br />
an extraordinary combination of futurism and vintage.<br />
The result is a stunning motorcycle where the highperformance<br />
ampliTex technical fabrics not only contribute<br />
to light-weight and more sustainable body parts with a flirt<br />
to vintage looks, but also enables the unique front light with<br />
their translucency.<br />
race ready EPCS V2.3 Tesla P100DL<br />
Electric GT Holdings Inc. (headquartered at Circuit Pau-<br />
Arnos, France) and SPV Racing just unveiled the raceready<br />
version of the EPCS V2.3 Tesla P100DL at Circuit de<br />
Barcelona-Catalunya. Under the foil there is another layer<br />
to the story: the racing edition is lightweighted with body<br />
parts in natural fiber ampliTex and powerRibs, contributing<br />
to the 500kg weight reduction vs. the road edition. The<br />
EPCS edition Tesla also leverages the flax fibres unique<br />
translucency as the roof has a fully inte-grated LED screen<br />
that will display statistics and information during the<br />
races – an entirely new and revolutionising grip to bring<br />
the audience closer to the race and a part of modernising<br />
racing to attract new audiences. MT<br />
www.bcomp.ch | www.dabmotors.com/alter.html<br />
www.spv.racing | www.electricgt.co<br />
24 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
Automotive<br />
PRESENTS<br />
The Bioplastics Award will be presented<br />
during the 13 th European Bioplastics Conference<br />
December <strong>04</strong>-05, <strong>2018</strong>, Berlin, Germany<br />
THE THIRTEENTH ANNUAL GLOBAL AWARD FOR<br />
DEVELOPERS, MANUFACTURERS AND USERS OF<br />
BIOBASED AND/OR BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS.<br />
Call for proposals<br />
Enter your own product, service or development,<br />
or nominate your favourite example from<br />
another organisation<br />
Please let us know until August 31 st<br />
1. What the product, service or<br />
development is and does<br />
2. Why you think this product,<br />
service or development should win an award<br />
3. What your (or the proposed) company<br />
or organisation does<br />
<strong>2018</strong><br />
Your entry should not exceed 500 words (approx. 1 page)<br />
and may also be supported with photographs, samples,<br />
marketing brochures and/or technical documentation<br />
(cannot be sent back). The 5 nominees must be prepared<br />
to provide a 30 second videoclip and come to Berlin on<br />
December 4 th , <strong>2018</strong>.<br />
More details and an entry form can be downloaded from<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/award<br />
supported by<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 25
Report<br />
20 years Tecnaro<br />
Congratulations – but also some serious words of the founders<br />
Helmut Nägele and Jürgen Pfitzer<br />
Gucci sunglasses and shoe<br />
Biobrush<br />
A<br />
pioneer in bioplastics for 20 years, TECNARO from<br />
Ilsfeld, Germany is still acting with a fighting spirit.<br />
“First be smiled at, then fought against and finally<br />
regarded as a matter of course” - this was formulated<br />
by Arthur Schopenhauer for the truth and has now been<br />
transferred by the laudator in his speech to two pioneers<br />
from Heilbronn, Germany. Helmut Nägele and Jürgen<br />
Pfitzer, Managing Directors of Tecnaro, have resolutely<br />
pursued their idea of using renewable resources in order<br />
to manufacture their bioplastics named liquid wood-<br />
ARBOFORM ® , ARBOBLEND ® and ARBOFILL ® - with all<br />
properties of plastic. Today, in the company’s twentieth<br />
year of existence, they proudly say “we have succeeded”.<br />
All over the world, their formulas are contained in everyday<br />
objects such as fashion, automobiles, facades, craftsmen-,<br />
trade and industrial needs. Tecnaro’s formulas are used for<br />
Benetton hangers or Friedwald forest cemetery urns, for<br />
example.<br />
Of course, so many times Nägele und Pfitzer and their<br />
team have continued in research and development, have<br />
transferred their ideas into practice, have selected and<br />
discarded all changes and started again – until they<br />
developed formulas for a wide/broad application range.<br />
However, they are made from sugar, starch, natural wax,<br />
organic oil or wood extractives like cellulose and lignin.<br />
According to Helmut Nägele, up to 70 % of all conventional<br />
plastic may be replaced technically by Tecnaro resins or<br />
compounds. Tecnaro’s recipes are used in Audi R8, in<br />
punches and staplers from Novus, in shoes and sun glasses<br />
from Gucci and in the multiple-award-winning Biobrush<br />
toothbrushes. In Addition, the bio version of the glue sticks<br />
ReNature“ and the text markers Edding 24 which are<br />
well-known worldwide, are made from Tecnaro materials.<br />
For a long time, a leading manufacturer of corn mills has<br />
been using casings made of wood. Now, with good reason<br />
Mockmill as a first kitchen appliance wears a dress made<br />
from bio plastics Arboblend.<br />
Strong network created around the Tecnaro Team<br />
During the last 20 years, a most remarkable and strong<br />
plastic technology network has been created around the<br />
Tecnaro Team which comprises innovative customers,<br />
research and development partners, flexible suppliers,<br />
authorities and associations acting in a prudent manner,<br />
fair market players, keen understanding consultants and<br />
auditors as well as strong financial partners. Thanks to its<br />
competent sales representatives and Albis Plastic GmbH<br />
Hamburg, Tecnaro materials are reaching even the most<br />
far-away countries.<br />
“We need to grow even more but have already amazingly<br />
powerful partners in the entire world“, say the two managing<br />
directors and add “together we are everywhere!”<br />
26 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
Report<br />
“There’s nothing left to desire“ results Öko-Test<br />
Besides Arboform und Arbofill, Arboblend is one of<br />
Tecnaro’s basic formulas. And whether it concerns returnable<br />
coffee-to-go beakers, organic freezer bags, coffee capsules,<br />
cooking- or baby spoons, highest standards are valid for<br />
food contact. Therefore, the German magazine Öko-Test<br />
thoroughly tested the Ajaa Lunchbox made from Arboblend<br />
and awarded it the overall rating “very high quality” and drew<br />
a positive conclusion “there’s nothing left to desire“(6/<strong>2018</strong><br />
issue).<br />
Tecnaro‘s biopolymers leave the factory in form of<br />
granules. They are made from renewable raw materials and<br />
are biodegradable or long term resistant. The materials can<br />
be processed, for example, by injection molding, extrusion,<br />
calendering, pressing, thermoforming and blow molding.<br />
The trophies of Green Brands Germany, for example, are<br />
made via 3D printing process. And by using an additive<br />
manufacturing system Freeformer which is a revolutionary<br />
manufacturing technology from Arburg, functionally<br />
planetary gears (working similarly like a clockwork) are<br />
made in a single work step, without further assembly.<br />
Tecnaro also scores at another place on the playing<br />
field: the ball Binabo from TicToys (Leipzig, Germany) has<br />
accurately landed to the <strong>2018</strong> Football World Cup. Before<br />
they start playing with the Binabo, children can assemble<br />
it from pieces. However, from the Binabo parts, something<br />
else may be assembled, too. This different football made<br />
from Arboblend was designed based on an example from<br />
Myanmar which is made from rattan fencing. And of course,<br />
the new one is made from 100% renewable raw materials,<br />
too.<br />
Steadily in upward trend<br />
With a team of more than 30 employees and thereof a lot of<br />
highly qualified academics, the trend for Tecnaro is upwards.<br />
Besides a high media attention, the number of prizes and<br />
awards is increasing almost every year (see separate infobox).<br />
Today, the level of being laughed at has overcome. Does<br />
everything fit now? Shouldn’t the world embrace the German<br />
pioneers for their rescue visions about plastic replacement?<br />
And this in times in which the world’s oceans are in danger<br />
of suffocating in plastic waste whirls. The reversal away from<br />
fossil raw materials and oil to sustainable and renewable<br />
resources was never before as topical as today.<br />
Helmut Nägele, Managing director of Tecnaro, says: “like<br />
the turn in energy politics, the raw material shift should be<br />
propagated accordingly and repeated continually. It’s a fact<br />
that the world’s resources of oil are finite. Already today, oilmultis<br />
are buying forests on a large-scale in order to keep<br />
at least their market power within global competition. “<br />
Ajaa lunch-boxes<br />
Binabo toy<br />
Edding highlighters<br />
Nighthawk Headphones<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 27
Opinion<br />
Bioplastics facade mock-up, Campus University Stuttgart, Germany<br />
ReNature glue stick<br />
Punch and stapler (Novus)<br />
Questionable closeness to industry<br />
Meanwhile, Nägele und Pfitzer see themselves<br />
having reached step two which means to be<br />
combated. Here, the main challenge will not be the<br />
competition to the oil industry but even hostility out<br />
of a totally unexpected corner, from acteurs which<br />
Tecnaro thought they would give backing. However,<br />
a world-wide environmental organization has<br />
just thrown down a gauntlet. “Initially, this nonprofit<br />
environmental organization tackled with<br />
questionable theses against a near to finalization<br />
contract concerning a product being developed<br />
over months for a large customer. Afterwards, the<br />
related partners of this organization took benefit<br />
of this business opportunity based on Tecnaro’s<br />
development”, says Pfitzer.<br />
“We’ve lost our faith”, say the two Tecnaro<br />
leaders.<br />
“As a manufacturer of biobased granules from<br />
renewable resources we constantly have to answer<br />
questions from anywhere and have to keep expensive<br />
records additionally. However, this procedure<br />
would not have to be performed by manufacturers<br />
of oil-based polymers. It seems really bizarre<br />
that such environmental organizations have now<br />
discovered established bioplastics for themselves<br />
and are commercializing this technology and,<br />
against their better knowledge, create distortions<br />
of competition – and in this case even in favor of<br />
conventional oil-based plastics”, says Jürgen<br />
Pfitzer.<br />
In this context, Pfitzer cites an Italian proverb<br />
which says: “Anyone who does everything for the<br />
sake of money will soon do everything for the<br />
money.”<br />
Fiscal advantage for oil-based plastics<br />
This year, Tecnaro is focusing on other topics<br />
witch are especially its 20-years anniversary and<br />
the trend-setting market movement thus arriving<br />
even under the wide knowledge of the fact that<br />
oil-based plastics has still favorable terms of tax<br />
(at least in Germany). This special position within<br />
fiscal legislation goes back to the 60’s and has<br />
today only little public awareness. In this context,<br />
it is remarkable that at that time, their justification<br />
was that oil-based plastic waste would not be<br />
burnt, in contrast to fuel.<br />
Nägele and Pfitzer are not alone in considering<br />
the subsidy for oil-based plastics as unjustified.<br />
In this context, just recently, Robert Habeck,<br />
Chairman of the German Green party, has required<br />
to introduce an EU-wide tax on oil-based plastics<br />
for disposable items. This was published in the<br />
media accordingly. Nägele und Pfitzer consider<br />
it absurd that there is a tax allowance of several<br />
millions of euros per year for the plastic flood. “For<br />
years, we have been recommending an additional<br />
CO 2<br />
-emission tax on products made of fossil<br />
raw materials and now, we found out that these<br />
28 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
Opinion<br />
are even exempt from mineral oil tax“, says Jürgen<br />
Pfitzer, shaking his head.<br />
“And this has an influence on the whole biobased<br />
industry, too. Within our industry, the price is an<br />
important decision criterion“, says Helmut Nägele.<br />
Jürgen Pfitzer adds: “Especially in terms of fossil<br />
raw materials or for uranium and rare earth, for<br />
example, but also on use of pesticides and on bottling<br />
water in Africa it has shown that opportunities and<br />
profits are always privatized and risks and losses<br />
socialized!<br />
The ecological footprint of products is usually<br />
excluded from the account. Besides tax allowances,<br />
this procedure results in a further distortion of<br />
competition at the expense of environment and<br />
common public.<br />
“It is not acceptable that a few big oil companies<br />
and multi-billionaires and its shareholders take profit<br />
from generally available but globally limited resources<br />
of raw materials or to throw toxic pesticides on the<br />
market that simply kill everything except their own<br />
cereals. Equally worrying is the fact that bottlingwater<br />
in Africa with the “innovation” of simply digging<br />
deeper wells than it is possible for the villagers.<br />
Simultaneously, the general public has to carry the<br />
risks and costs for climate changes through CO 2<br />
-<br />
emissions, oil rig- or oil tanker accidents, defective<br />
pipeline, polluted oceans, dying bees, insects,<br />
animals and plants, Destruction of arable land due to<br />
rising sea levels, devastation of entire regions or other<br />
environmental disasters with irreparable damage,<br />
global wars for oil and resulting refugee flows.<br />
However, if these costs were to be distributed<br />
according to the polluter-pays principle, as is usual<br />
everywhere else, and preferably with a share of the<br />
costs shared by the arms industry, peace in the world<br />
would be achieved tomorrow,” said Managing Director<br />
Jürgen Pfitzer.<br />
Customized for double production capacity<br />
Above all – on the 2 nd of July, <strong>2018</strong>, Tecnaro<br />
celebrated its 20 th anniversary. A further reason<br />
to be pleased is the investment in a factory-new<br />
machine. It is a twin-screw extruder delivered by<br />
KraussMaffei Berstorff and allows, thanks to the<br />
added sophisticated plant engineering, to double<br />
production capacity at Tecnaro. With this plant, the<br />
specialists from Ilsfeld are optionally prepared for the<br />
increasing demand of custom-made organic plastic<br />
compounds. Furthermore, the machine is planned<br />
to be used for research and development purposes<br />
and to conduct extensive tests using an upscaling<br />
procedure, for example. Here, formulations can be<br />
tested for practicality with a throughput of up to one<br />
ton per hour.<br />
Once again: First be smiled at, then fought against<br />
and finally regarded as a matter of course. However,<br />
the Binabo ball is now in everyone’s court and stands<br />
for a better future without fossil plastics. MT<br />
www.tecnaro.de<br />
Awards and Prizes:<br />
• 1999<br />
• 2000<br />
• 2001<br />
ZDF WISO German Founders Award<br />
Euromold Award in Gold<br />
1. Einfach Genial Preis of the MDR<br />
• 2002 Award from the Material ConneXion New York for<br />
ARBOFORM as “Best Product in Show 2002“<br />
• 2007 VR-Innovationspreis 2007<br />
• 2008 Werkbund Label 2008<br />
• 2009 Deutsche Industriepreis 2009<br />
• 2010<br />
• 2011<br />
European Inventor Award (handed over at a<br />
ceremony in Madrid by the European Patent Office<br />
and today’s Spanish royal couple Queen Letizia and<br />
King Felipe<br />
Diesel Medal for the most sustainable innovation<br />
of the year<br />
• 2015/16/17 Green Brand Germany Siegel<br />
Awards eceived by Tecnaro’s customers:<br />
• 2008<br />
• 2016<br />
• 2017<br />
• 2017<br />
German Design AWARD <strong>2018</strong> – WINNER<br />
Deutscher Verpackungspreis<br />
reddot Award 2017-best of the best<br />
GreenTEC Award 2017 (2. Place)<br />
• <strong>2018</strong> Green Good Design Award <strong>2018</strong><br />
• <strong>2018</strong> German Innovation AWARD <strong>2018</strong><br />
Mockmill cereal grinder<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 29
GET THE APP NOW<br />
download free of charge*<br />
Via the new App you read<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE sooner<br />
on your mobile device<br />
Not only on a tablet, but also on<br />
your smartphone you can easily<br />
read bioplastics MAGAZINE<br />
Be informed quicker:<br />
read bioplastics MAGAZINE a week<br />
before the print edition is mailed<br />
More features:<br />
find links to additional material<br />
like PDFs, videoclips, photos etc.<br />
Easy navigation:<br />
digital version, optimized for<br />
tablets and smartphones<br />
Includes a Twitter Feed about<br />
our daily online news<br />
* Contents may become restricted to subscribers or subject to additonal fees at a later stage.<br />
30 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
Materials<br />
New biocomposite for<br />
thermally formable products<br />
VTT, Espoo, Finland, has developed a<br />
thermally formable, biodegradable<br />
material, which is 100 % biobased. Its<br />
suitability for applications such as furniture<br />
makes it an attractive alternative to wood and<br />
biocomposite materials available in the market,<br />
not only because of its biodegradability but<br />
also due to its formability and colouring properties.<br />
Biocomposites made from entirely biobased raw<br />
materials can be used to replace fossil raw material<br />
derived plastics, which have traditionally been used<br />
in industrial applications. Being thermoformable,<br />
the material is well suited for various manufacturing<br />
processes and products.<br />
“All the goals we set were achieved: the material is 100 %<br />
biobased, cellulose fibres account for a significant proportion,<br />
it looks good and it has excellent performance characteristics”,<br />
says Lisa Wikström, Research Team Leader from VTT.<br />
At the end of their life-cycle, products made from this material<br />
can either be re-used, composted, or burned to generate energy<br />
without any fossil-based carbon dioxide emissions making it kind<br />
of “renewable energy”.<br />
“New biobased, thermally formable materials<br />
and composites are a promising alternative<br />
for the plastic products market. However, a<br />
big breakthrough is yet to come. A major<br />
shift requires cooperation between<br />
material and process developers as well<br />
as designers,” Wikström concludes.<br />
The first model product is a designer<br />
chair manufactured as a joint effort<br />
between VTT, Plastec Finland and KO-<br />
HO Industrial design (Jurva, Finland).<br />
The chair, manufactured using traditional<br />
compounding and injection moulding technologies, is<br />
made from wood-based cellulose fibres, renewable and<br />
industrially compostable, thermoformable polylactide, and<br />
biobased additives.<br />
VTT developed the material in the ACEL research<br />
programme funded by Clic Innovations Ltd. (Helsinki, Finland)<br />
and the proof of concept stage was carried out with Plastec<br />
Finland an injection moulding company from Vimpeli.<br />
www.vtt.fi<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 31
ORDER<br />
NOW!<br />
BOOK<br />
STORE<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com/en/books<br />
email: books@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
phone: +49 2161 6884463<br />
32 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13<br />
Visit our bookstore for prices and many more books!
Materials<br />
New compound certified<br />
as biodegradable in soil<br />
The injection moulding material M·VERA ® GP1012 by BIO-<br />
FED, Cologne, Germany, a branch of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH,<br />
Hamburg, Germany), has been tested by TÜV AUSTRIA<br />
Belgium and has been awarded the OK biodegradable SOIL<br />
certificate as per EN 13432.<br />
This bio-polyester compound is suitable for<br />
processing in injection moulding and can be easily<br />
processed by all commercial machines. It consists of<br />
100 % renewable materials, is heat resistant to over<br />
100 °C and has an excellent balance of stiffness<br />
and toughness. This compound is suitable for<br />
use in agriculture and horticulture and can also<br />
be used for coffee capsules. Due to its light color,<br />
M·Vera GP1012 can be coloured with the AF-Eco<br />
biomasterbatch from Bio-Fed’s sister branch AF-<br />
Color.<br />
To qualify for the OK biodegradable SOIL TÜV<br />
certificate, at least 90 % of the material must degrade<br />
into carbon dioxide and water. The degradation is tested by<br />
accredited laboratories under controlled and standardised<br />
conditions over a period of no longer than two years.<br />
Coffee capsules – a<br />
possible application for<br />
M·Vera GP1012<br />
All elements of the compounds meet the FDA<br />
requirements for use in products that come into contact<br />
with foodstuffs. The requirements for other certificates<br />
such as “OK compost HOME”, as well as approval for<br />
products intended to come into contact with food as per EU<br />
10/2011, are expected to be met in the first half of 2019.<br />
Since 2014 Bio-Fed produces and markets biodegradable<br />
and/or biobased compounds under the M∙Vera brand.<br />
As a branch of Akro-Plastic, a specialist for innovative<br />
customer-oriented plastic compounds, Bio-Fed is part of<br />
the international Feddersen Group which has its head office<br />
in Hamburg.<br />
The Bio-Fed product portfolio consists a broad range<br />
of bioplastics compounds with different properties, such<br />
as biodegradability and/or high biobased content. The<br />
M·Vera products are already well-established in a number<br />
of applications and can be used with various processing<br />
methods. In addition, all M·Vera compounds can be colored<br />
individually – for example with the AF-Eco biopolymerbased<br />
masterbatches which are certified in accordance with<br />
EN 13432. The AF-Eco range consists of color and carbon<br />
black masterbatches as well as additive masterbatches.<br />
In addition to materials for processing in the field<br />
of injection moulding, Bio-Fed also manufactures<br />
biocompounds for use in extrusion, e.g. blown film that<br />
meets the strict legal requirements in France and Italy.<br />
A large proportion of these compounds are renewable<br />
materials (biobased carbon content over 40 %) and meet the<br />
requirements for the relevant ‘end-of-life’ scenarios such<br />
as “OK compost INDUSTRIAL” and “OK compost HOME”.<br />
We STARCH<br />
your plastics.<br />
Made in Austria.<br />
AMITROPLAST ®<br />
THERMOPLASTIC STARCH<br />
BIO-BASED & HOME-COMPOSTABLE.<br />
PERFORMING. COST COMPETITIVE. FOR YOU.<br />
AMITROPLAST ® allows you to incorporate 50 % or more of<br />
thermoplastic starch in your compound for film extrusion<br />
and injection moulding.<br />
www.bio-fed.com<br />
bioplastics.starch@agrana.com<br />
AGRANA.COM<br />
THE NATURAL UPGRADE<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 33
Cover-Story<br />
Vienna schoolgirls develop<br />
home- compostable<br />
coffee capsules<br />
By Michael Thielen<br />
Avoid waste, save aluminium: Two students of the TGM Austrias<br />
biggest engineering college located in Vienna, developed<br />
a biobased material for coffee capsules that actually<br />
biodegrades well, even in the compost box at home.<br />
“We are very proud that it works,” says Samantha Onderka (19),<br />
graduate at the TGM. Together with Katharina Schleinzer (18),<br />
she observed how the novel coffee capsules in their self-made<br />
compost box disintegrated within a few weeks. “It’s great to see<br />
the capsules change and degrade.”<br />
Coffee capsules for espresso machines are a convenient thing,<br />
but they generate a lot of waste. A typical capsule is made of 1.13<br />
grams of aluminium. Three cups of coffee a day create more than<br />
1.2 kilograms of aluminium-waste in one year.<br />
The two students of the TGM therefore hurled themselves<br />
particularly eagerly at a diploma project in preparation for their<br />
matura (A-levels) that could make the world a little bit better:<br />
Gabriel-Chemie, an international company with headquarters in<br />
Gumpoldskirchen, Lower Austria, needs a new, environmentally<br />
friendly material for coffee capsules. Andreas Höllebauer, Head<br />
of Research at Gabriel-Chemie, explained the idea: “We are<br />
looking for a bioplastic for coffee capsules. The material should<br />
be of natural origin and demonstrably very easy to degrade, not<br />
only in industrial composting plants, but quite normally in the<br />
home and garden”. Gabriel-Chemie mainly produces colours and<br />
additives for plastics and is therefore interested in the subject of<br />
coffee capsules. “We have been working with the TGM for many<br />
years,” explained Höllebauer, “so it made sense to advertise this<br />
research task as a Matura project.”<br />
Katharina and Samantha added: Common bioplastic capsules<br />
are only compostable under industrial composting conditions<br />
(temperatures between 50 °C and 80 °C, humidity around 50 % and<br />
the right population of microorganisms) in corresponding plants. At<br />
the same time, legal regulations in certain regions (such as Austria<br />
or Germany) prohibit the disposal of coffee capsules via a composting<br />
plant. The capsules currently available on the market that we know of<br />
are also not really suitable for biodegradation in home composting, as<br />
degradation would take far too long without ideal conditions. However,<br />
we wanted to develop a material that could be composted in our own<br />
garden even under sub-optimal conditions.<br />
Plastic from nature<br />
Katharina and Samantha experimented with various mixtures<br />
based on natural, renewable raw materials. Bioplastics are often<br />
made from sugar, starch or biomass. However, the final result<br />
should be waterproof and easy to form. The girls tested seven<br />
different bioplastics, which they produced themselves from<br />
various ingredients. Which took a lot of patience. Although the<br />
TGM is equipped with a machine for this purpose, it is of course a<br />
laboratory device designed for small sample quantities and filled<br />
by the spoonful.<br />
“To produce five kilograms of each new material, we had to<br />
spoon granules into the hopper for hours,” sighed Katharina. The<br />
granules were mixed and melted until the new material flowed<br />
out of a die. “Then we tested extensively whether the material<br />
should meet certain criteria. The bioplastics had to pass a tensile<br />
test and a tensile impact test and of course also needed the right<br />
properties for processing”.<br />
Of seven mixtures, exactly one was left to be considered as a<br />
candidate. It consists of materials entirely made from renewable<br />
raw materials. Using a special 3D laser printer (stereolithography),<br />
the students designed and built a mould with which they could<br />
actually produce coffee capsules from their new material in a<br />
thermoforming process.<br />
End-of-life more important than production<br />
The most important thing about this invention is its end-oflife<br />
solution. Would the coffee capsules actually completely<br />
biodegrade in a normal compost heap? Samantha and Katharina<br />
built a compost box suitable for domestic use and threw their<br />
coffee capsules literally “on the dung”. The experiment was<br />
successful. In the course of the weeks up to their Matura exam<br />
the girls could observe and document how the capsules became<br />
ever smaller and smaller.<br />
“We have found a bioplastic that can solve the problem with<br />
coffee capsules in the long term,” says Samantha happily.<br />
Outlook<br />
The current discussion about resource-efficient use and<br />
the avoidance of waste from disposable products offers great<br />
potential for ecologically more sustainable materials that were<br />
previously not commercially competitive. The Austrian Eco-Label<br />
is currently being awarded to biodegradable biopolymers used in<br />
the packaging sector. The material solution developed within this<br />
project would qualify for this. In the meantime, the project also<br />
was praised with the Borealis Innovation Award <strong>2018</strong>.<br />
And the project will be continued. TGM and Gabriel-Chemie<br />
want to take a closer look at the degradation mechanism and<br />
further refine the formulation. Further processing tests will also<br />
be carried out in addition to the previous work.<br />
www.tgm.ac.at www.gabriel-chemie.com<br />
34 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
Cover-Story<br />
Industrial Solutions for Polymer Plants<br />
Polylactide Technology<br />
Uhde Inventa Fischer Polycondensation Technologies has expanded its product portfolio to<br />
include the innovative state-of-the-art PLAneo ® process for a sustainable polymer. The<br />
feedstock for our PLA process is lactic acid, which can be produced from local agricultural<br />
products containing starch or sugar. The application range of PLA is similar to that of polymers<br />
based on fossil resources as its physical properties can be tailored to meet packaging, textile<br />
and other requirements. www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 35
Coffee capsules & pods<br />
By:<br />
Martin Bussmann<br />
BASF<br />
Ludwigshafen, Germany<br />
Enjoying coffee with<br />
compostable coffee capsules<br />
Coffee capsules are convenient for consumers, easy to dispense and practical. However, in Germany<br />
alone, they generate around 5,000 tonnes of waste each year. Compostable bioplastics by BASF for the<br />
manufacture of coffee capsules set an example against this trend – with tailored ecovio ® grades for the<br />
production of a wide range of flexible and rigid compostable packaging.<br />
Cappuccino for breakfast, an espresso in the afternoon<br />
– simply by pushing a button on your own coffee<br />
machine. Portioned capsules are particularly popular<br />
with coffee lovers as they are easy to use and make quality<br />
coffee quickly. However, the packaging potentially pollutes<br />
the environment. Commercially available capsules consist<br />
of aluminium and conventional plastic and are either burned<br />
after use or are difficult to recycle. At the same time, there<br />
is increasing public interest in sustainable products that<br />
contribute to circular economy.<br />
As early as 2013, BASF developed a biodegradable coffee<br />
capsule with Swiss Coffee Company for gourmet coffee using<br />
its certified compostable and partly biobased ecovio, which<br />
was optimised for injection moulding for this purpose. While<br />
the material had until then only been used in mulch films<br />
and bags, it was now possible for the first time to implement<br />
ecovio commercially in an injection moulding application -<br />
and at the same time meeting the particular requirements<br />
of coffee capsules: The capsule can withstand the high<br />
pressure and the heat that are generated by the machine<br />
in the brewing process. Flavour-tight barrier secondary<br />
packaging, which is also compostable, ensures that the<br />
coffee aroma is optimally maintained. The application<br />
won the 2014 Global Bioplastics Award presented by<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE.<br />
Since this breakthrough, BASF has been working<br />
continuously on its product portfolio to enable different<br />
processing technologies for the manufacture of coffee<br />
capsules. It is focusing on improving application-specific<br />
requirements such as dimensional stability under heat and<br />
an oxygen barrier. For thin-walled capsules, the injection<br />
moulding grade ecovio IA1652 offers a greater dimensional<br />
stability under heat along with ideal mechanical stability.<br />
Now also on the market: the grade ecovio T2308, which<br />
allows thin-walled capsules to be manufactured also by<br />
thermoforming. Another milestone is the development of<br />
technologies for inserting an oxygen barrier, which means<br />
that both the injection moulding grade ecovio IA1652 and<br />
the thermoforming material ecovio TA1241 can be given an<br />
oxygen barrier during the production of the capsules.<br />
In 2017, BASF and the French company Capsul’in were<br />
awarded the Pierre Potier innovation prize for a coffee<br />
capsule made of ecovio IA1652. The award, presented by<br />
the French Ministry of Economy and Industry on behalf<br />
of the French Federation for Chemistry Sciences and<br />
the Federation of the Chemical Industry, recognises<br />
innovation in sustainable development and encourages<br />
environmentally friendly approaches. The ecovio coffee<br />
capsules, which are certified compostable, are broken down<br />
in industrial composting plants into water, CO 2<br />
and quality<br />
compost, and metabolised by microorganisms. Within<br />
twelve weeks the capsules are degraded into industrial<br />
compost. The development of compostable coffee capsules<br />
therefore allows not only a more responsible handling of<br />
packaging, but also a transformation of the raw material<br />
back to valuable compost at the end of its life cycle and a<br />
reduction of unnecessary waste.<br />
www.ecovio.basf.com<br />
Manufactured by injection moulding: thin-walled coffee capsules<br />
made of ecovio IA1652 (Photo: BASF)<br />
Thermoformed coffee capsules made of ecovio TA1241 enable<br />
high dimensional stability under heat, good mechanical stability<br />
and at the same time a reliable oxygen barrier. (Photo: BASF)<br />
36 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
Coffee capsules & pods<br />
Replacing<br />
aluminium<br />
with paper<br />
The world’s first mass produced coffee capsule<br />
made of paper is set to replace aluminum and plastic<br />
capsules.<br />
The Bremen, Germany based coffee capsule company<br />
Velibre brings onto the market the first Nespresso ® -<br />
compatible coffee capsule made of paper.<br />
“After more than two years of development, which required<br />
over a million Euros of investment, Velibre can finally present<br />
the finished version of our new paper capsule. This capsule<br />
can be put into the home compost as well as in the biowaste<br />
collection bin”, says managing director David Wolf- Rooney.<br />
The serial production has just started and the finished<br />
capsule will be available in the third quarter of <strong>2018</strong>. Wolf-<br />
Rooney expects Velibre to produce over 300 million capsules<br />
in the next Year. “We are more than convinced of the giant<br />
potential of our paper capsule. This belief comes from the<br />
enormous interest in the Velibre capsule from various market<br />
leaders in the coffee capsule industry. It also comes from the<br />
concrete offers related to the purchase of Velibre which is in<br />
the double-digit millions. The value of the capsule will develop<br />
throughout the next years towards the 100 Million Euros<br />
level”, reveals David Mr. Wolf-Rooney. He adds: “traditional<br />
coffee capsules produce a huge amount of waste and our<br />
vision is to completely banish the use of plastic or aluminum<br />
capsules from the market. To secure this vision we will make<br />
the Velibre know-how, our technology and our production<br />
capacities freely available to all manufacturers of coffee<br />
capsules. From now on, no company<br />
has to produce environmentally harmful<br />
variants as they can get all the capsules they<br />
want from Velibre. This is the real revolution behind Velibre”.<br />
The newly developed paper capsule supports the<br />
company’s goal to systematically revolutionizing the coffee<br />
capsule market. The paper capsule can be easily recycled via<br />
home compost and – as the only capsule in the world so far –<br />
via organic waste collection systems. The capsule completely<br />
biodegrades to CO 2<br />
, water and biomass after a few weeks,<br />
depending in the composting environment.<br />
The capsule is made of sugarcane fibers. These fibres<br />
are a residual material created in large volumes during the<br />
production of sugar. Therefore, it does not need its own land<br />
for production and it is not in any competition with food. All<br />
materials used are also 100 % free of genetically modified<br />
raw materials. The components of the capsule are already<br />
certified according to the standard EN 13432 for industrial<br />
composting facilities. For the standards Vincotte OK<br />
compost HOME and DIN-certified garden compostable the<br />
corresponding certification processes are in process.<br />
A global patent was established in 2016 for the unique<br />
product and a German utility patent has already been<br />
registered. MT www.velibre.com<br />
Magnetic<br />
for Plastics<br />
www.plasticker.com<br />
• International Trade<br />
in Raw Materials, Machinery & Products Free of Charge.<br />
• Daily News<br />
from the Industrial Sector and the Plastics Markets.<br />
• Current Market Prices<br />
for Plastics.<br />
• Buyer’s Guide<br />
for Plastics & Additives, Machinery & Equipment, Subcontractors<br />
and Services.<br />
• Job Market<br />
for Specialists and Executive Staff in the Plastics Industry.<br />
Up-to-date • Fast • Professional<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 37
Coffee capsules & pods<br />
Coffee klatch<br />
Aldo Zanetti,<br />
Business Unit<br />
Manager at<br />
Trinseo<br />
Single-serve Coffee Capsules and<br />
Biodegradable Material – the Perfect Match – an Interview<br />
Trinseo, headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, USA, is a global materials<br />
company that has acquired API (Mussolente, Italy), a producer of thermoplastic<br />
elastomeric compounds and bioplastics. Trinseo has recently launched new grades of biodegradable<br />
and compostable bioplastics for single-serve coffee capsules. bioplastics MAGAZINE spoke with Aldo<br />
Zanetti, Business Unit Manager at Trinseo.<br />
When did Trinseo enter the bioplastics market?<br />
In 2006, Trinseo, formerly known as API, launched the<br />
first soft biodegradable and compostable material – APINAT<br />
BIO ® . In those early days, this was still a novel approach.<br />
Still we felt the time had come to add sustainability as a<br />
core competence to our already innovative conventional<br />
compounds. We protected this biodegradable compound<br />
technology with an international patent.<br />
How did biodegradable products progress from<br />
here?<br />
Over the years, we developed biodegradable materials for<br />
a variety of different applications. In 2011, conforming to the<br />
new Italian regulation, we introduced a biodegradable and<br />
compostable film solution to replace<br />
polyethylene shopping bags. In 2014,<br />
we launched the first biodegradable<br />
and compostable compound<br />
for single-serve coffee capsules.<br />
Additionally, we have developed a unique<br />
and wide-ranging spectrum<br />
of biodegradable color<br />
masterbatches compatible<br />
with all of our bio resins.<br />
Since the acquisition of API, Trinseo has<br />
introduced further innovations and new materials suitable<br />
for various applications, particularly in the packaging and<br />
agricultural sectors.<br />
In your opinion, why should companies use<br />
biodegradable material when producing coffee<br />
capsules?<br />
Global coffee consumption is continuously progessing<br />
towards single-serve capsule machines. Every year<br />
around 50 billion capsules are sold worldwide. Although<br />
single-serve capsules are extremely convenient, they<br />
have the downside that the aluminum and plastic create<br />
a lot of waste. Single-serve coffee capsules are not easily<br />
recyclable and mixed materials such as exhausted coffee<br />
powder, plastic and aluminum are sent to a landfill without<br />
being separated. The coffee industry urgently needs a<br />
more sustainable packaging option. Biodegradable and<br />
compostable capsules are, in my opinion, therefore one of<br />
the most viable solutions.<br />
Why are single serve coffee capsules so suitable<br />
assuming they are collected and sent to a<br />
composting facility?<br />
The combination of coffee powder with biodegradable<br />
material constitutes a ‘perfect match’. Coffee powder is<br />
organic and is itself a good fertilizer. The brewing process<br />
adds temperature and humidity, thereby triggering the<br />
biodegradation of the capsule into compost, CO 2<br />
and water.<br />
What about other material properties? Can your<br />
material compete with conventional plastics?<br />
Besides being biodegradable under EN 13432, our new<br />
APINAT BIO® grades are derived from 60 to 90 % biobased<br />
sources. Our grades fully comply with both<br />
U.S. FDA and EU food contact regulations.<br />
Our materials exemplify exceptional<br />
dimensional stability and easy<br />
processability at the manufacturer’s<br />
site. They can be processed with<br />
cycle times comparable to those of<br />
conventional plastics, maintaining a<br />
manufacturer’s hourly output at the<br />
same levels. The material grades have<br />
been successfully tested and approved<br />
in all current production technologies such<br />
as injection molding, extrusion and extrusion-compression<br />
molding. So, yes, we can compete with conventional plastics<br />
in the coffee capsule business.<br />
Which material properties would you now like<br />
to further improve?<br />
Our first priority is to enhance the barrier towards water<br />
vapor and oxygen, thereby extending capsule shelf-life. This<br />
is the area where developments are most concentrated.<br />
We are also working on improving our material’s thermal<br />
stability for the purpose of extending its use in complex<br />
capsules and for higher brewing temperatures and<br />
pressures.<br />
What about your participation in the EU LIFE-<br />
PLA4Coffee project?<br />
Because of our extensive knowledge and experience in<br />
the development of biodegradable plastic compounds, ICA,<br />
38 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
Coffee capsules & pods<br />
biopolymere.<br />
6. Kooperationsforum mit Fachausstellung<br />
a manufacturer of automatic packaging machinery<br />
and coffee capsules (headquartered in Bologna,<br />
Italy), selected us as a project partner. The aim of<br />
LIFE-PLA4Coffee project was to validate PLA based<br />
compound formulations with improved functional<br />
properties for the production of compostable<br />
coffee capsules. This interesting and productive<br />
collaboration has helped us to deepen our knowledge<br />
about the specific needs of this sector.<br />
How does your experience help<br />
customers to decide whether to invest in<br />
biodegradable solutions?<br />
We have a long and deep knowledge in diverse<br />
application fields like packaging, footwear, automotive<br />
and technical products. We understand the complexity<br />
of many different applications so when customers<br />
approach us asking about biodegradable solutions<br />
for specific applications, our experience enables<br />
us to evaluate the technical feasibility and provide<br />
advice on environmental benefits and suitability for<br />
each single application. We do not support projects<br />
in which the use of biodegradable solutions does not<br />
constitute a measurable environmental advantage.<br />
In addition we support our customers on legal<br />
framework conditions, which can vary depending on<br />
country and application.<br />
Over the years and through joint developments with<br />
customers, combined with our technology expertise,<br />
we have expanded our biodegradable compounds<br />
portfolio, ranging from low to high rigidity, to meet a<br />
wide spectrum of requirements for packaging and<br />
agricultural applications. MT<br />
www.trinseo.com<br />
18091 werbersbuero.de | Foto: ©artemegorov - stock.adobe.com<br />
B a y e r n<br />
Innovativ<br />
Joseph-von-Fraunhofer-Halle<br />
Straubing, 24. Oktober <strong>2018</strong><br />
www.bayern-innovativ.de/biopolymere<strong>2018</strong><br />
Cluster<br />
Neue Werkstoffe<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 39
Coffee capsules & pods<br />
Bio-PBS to<br />
increase<br />
benefits<br />
of PLA coffee<br />
capsules<br />
BIO PBS<br />
Flexible<br />
Higher<br />
Faster<br />
Translucent<br />
Higher<br />
Lower<br />
Lower<br />
By:<br />
Fabien Resweber & Pissapak Srihaphan<br />
PTT MCC Biochem Company Limited<br />
Bangkok, Thailand<br />
Flexibility<br />
Impact strength<br />
Biodegradability<br />
Heat resistance<br />
Process temp.<br />
Heat-seal temp.<br />
Transparency<br />
Rigid<br />
Lower<br />
Slower<br />
Lower<br />
Higher<br />
Higher<br />
PLA<br />
Transparent<br />
The coffee capsules sold by one major brand in 2013 alone<br />
created enough waste to encircle the earth more than<br />
ten times. The high fraction of water and coffee grounds<br />
makes them difficult to incinerate or recycle, a problem that<br />
could easily be circumvented by using compostable capsules<br />
based on BioPBS. The benefits of BioPBS were introduced<br />
during a presentation at two separate Single Serve Capsules<br />
conferences, one last year in Berlin, the other this year in Chicago,<br />
in which the outstanding compostability of this material<br />
was highlighted.<br />
BioPBS reduces cycle time while increasing HDT<br />
and Izod Impact strength<br />
One key benefit of blending BioPBS with PLA for injection<br />
moulding is that the degree of crystallinity of the matrix<br />
increases. PLA is an amorphous material with<br />
a very long cooling time. Adding BioPBS can<br />
therefore significantly shorten its cycle time. In a<br />
PLA blend with 20% BioPBS, the crystallization<br />
process is accelerated, reaching a percentage of<br />
crystallinity of 50 %; in a 40/60 blend of BioPBS/PLA<br />
a peak level of 80 % can be reached. Cycle time<br />
can be cut in half compared to cPLA , without<br />
compromising capsule mould productivity.<br />
Increasing the BioPBS content to 60 % or higher<br />
also improves the thermal properties of PLA,<br />
allowing the HDT A (0.45 MPa) value to be increased to<br />
almost 100 °C. As a result, BioPBS-based capsules<br />
will not twist or lose their shape during use, nor clog<br />
up the coffee machine. Increasing the BioPBS ratio<br />
from 20 to 40 has the additional advantage of improving<br />
the Izod impact strength of the material. Even better<br />
results are achieved if a 60/40 blend of BioPBS/PLA is used.<br />
Basically, the more BioPBS that is added, the more flexibility<br />
that can be expected from the compound. On the other hand,<br />
the PLA component increases the biobased content and adds<br />
solidity to the cap body.<br />
BioPBS meets new challenges for coffee capsules<br />
Previously, compostable coffee capsules had a limited<br />
oxygen barrier and required secondary packaging for<br />
wrapping. New solutions for compostable oxygen barriers<br />
now exist for all coffee capsule designs, decreasing the<br />
total amount of packaging needed. Barrier solutions mainly<br />
include the use of compostable IML (In-Mould-Labelling) or<br />
a compostable barrier layer injection molded in a co-injection<br />
process, and are perfectly compatible with BioPBS-based<br />
compostable capsules.<br />
In countries or cities where organic waste is collected, fully<br />
compostable capsules can be included in that composting<br />
stream, increasing the amount of waste being recycled through<br />
this organic recycling process. However, since industrial<br />
composting facilities are not yet accessible worldwide, there<br />
is now a strong market demand for a coffee capsule that will<br />
biodegrade in a home composting environment at ambient<br />
temperatures. BioPBS offers a way to make this possible,<br />
as this material provides a fast degrading polymer matrix,<br />
even at ambient temperature. BioPBS is increasingly gaining<br />
acceptance and is used as the raw material in various global<br />
sustainable coffee capsule brands for injection<br />
moulded and mesh parts.<br />
Total solution for compostable coffee<br />
capsules<br />
BioPBS can be applied in all the various parts<br />
of the coffee capsule, depending on the grade<br />
used. BioPBS lidding film (BioPBS sealant +<br />
barrier cellulose) provides an excellent oxygen<br />
barrier; BioPBS body or cap offers flexibility,<br />
heat resistance, and reduced cycle time. Finally,<br />
BioPBS can be used in a mesh (nonwoven filter)<br />
part on the bottom of the capsule to retain the<br />
ground coffee.<br />
The burgeoning popularity of single serve coffee<br />
capsules is cause for concern, as their use generates<br />
a vast amount of waste. Changing to a BioPBS capsule<br />
could definitely help solve this waste problem.<br />
Environmental benefits<br />
Formulating a coffee capsule material with a high BioPBS<br />
content can contribute to the reduction of non-recyclable<br />
waste and decrease the impact on the environment. Capsules<br />
made with BioPBS can be treated as organic waste, which<br />
means they can be disposed of in the organic waste bin (where<br />
available and permitted) without separating them from the<br />
coffee grounds. In applications like this, where it is impossible<br />
to re-use or recycle, compostable materials definitely<br />
contribute to cleaner end-of-life options and lower disposal<br />
costs.<br />
www.pttmcc.com<br />
40 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
Coffee capsules & pods<br />
PürPod100<br />
In 2015 Club Coffee, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, introduced<br />
PürPod100, what was, as stated by the company, the<br />
world’s first 100 % compostable, fully certified singleserve<br />
pod.<br />
“The amount of used single-serve pods sent into the<br />
waste stream last year could have circled the earth eleven<br />
times. That’s not acceptable,” said John Pigott, CEO, Club<br />
Coffee. “We have the most viable solution available to that<br />
issue – a pod that will be certified as 100 % compostable<br />
and can be converted to useful compost.”<br />
“As a large manufacturer and distributor of packaged<br />
coffee, we have a responsibility to our customers, and<br />
to society, to reduce the environmental impact of our<br />
activities.”<br />
The PürPod100 is made from renewable, biobased<br />
materials (more details were not disclosed) that are 100 %<br />
compostable, and the ring of the pod is made using coffee<br />
chaff – the skin of the coffee bean that comes off during<br />
the roasting process. Every single part of the PürPod100 is<br />
designed to be digestible by, and accessible for, bacteria.<br />
The PürPod100 is compatible with most Keurig brewing<br />
systems, including the new Keurig 2.0 brewers.<br />
“Still, plastic (and aluminium – MT), single serve coffee<br />
pods are included in this disposable waste stream. Where<br />
curbside food scrap collection programs exist, certified<br />
compostable products have the ability to help increase<br />
waste diversion while reducing contamination in the finished<br />
compost,” said Al Rattie, Director of Market Development,<br />
US Composting Council. “We hope that companies like Club<br />
Coffee will continue to work with the USCC to not only develop<br />
products that are tools for diversion, but also help support<br />
the growth of the food scrap collection and processing<br />
infrastructure needed to close the loop on products like<br />
compostable coffee pods. The resulting production and<br />
land application of high quality compost is essential for the<br />
creation of healthy soils and a sustainable society.”<br />
The PürPod100 was developed in conjunction with international<br />
experts and scientists at the University of Guelph.<br />
“Science shows that composting is an effective and<br />
conscientious solution to this growing environmental<br />
problem”, added Pigott. “Recycling isn’t a convenient or welldeveloped<br />
solution because hot pods full of coffee grounds<br />
must be carefully separated and cleaned before collection.”<br />
Steve Mojo, then executive director of the certifying body<br />
BPI, said, “Club Coffee’s () pods represent a significant<br />
improvement in single-serve coffee. Everyone involved in this<br />
technological advancement are commended for their hard<br />
work. All BPI approved products meet ASTM D6400 or ASTM<br />
D6868 based on independent lab testing, whose results are<br />
verified by NSF International.” In the meantime Club Coffee<br />
received certification for the PürPod 100 products.MT<br />
www.clubcoffee.ca<br />
RING<br />
Made with coffee bean skins and<br />
other compostable materials<br />
LID<br />
Made with paper and<br />
other compostable materials<br />
FILTER<br />
Made with plant-based materials<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 41
Materials<br />
Multilayer transparent<br />
barrierfilms<br />
Four key players in the bioplastics industry - Eurotech Extrusion Machinery, NatureWorks, Nippon<br />
Gohsei and Sukano - have successfully processed a multilayer transparent biobased barrier film. This<br />
allows packaging manufacturers to count coextruded film structure as a potential replacement for<br />
conventional fossil fuel-based structures in dry food packaging.<br />
Flexible multilayer plastic packaging design remains<br />
a major challenge, as most conventional multilayer<br />
films are neither recyclable nor compostable. As of today,<br />
there is a lack of recyclability for this kind of packaging<br />
that still makes up over 75 % of the food industry usage.<br />
Understanding this gap in the market, four key players<br />
in the bioplastics industry have joined together to find a<br />
solution. Eurotech Extrusion Machinery (Tradate, Italy),<br />
NatureWorks (Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA), Nippon Gohsei<br />
(headquartered in Osaka, Japan) and Sukano (Schindellegi,<br />
Switzweland) have now successfully processed a multilayer<br />
transparent biobased barrier film.<br />
Ingeo resin processed into a film is already used in many<br />
types of flexible packaging. Using Ingeo provides for a<br />
reduced carbon footprint, as well as compostability as an<br />
end of life option. For higher gas barrier requirements, a<br />
coating or a metallization surface treatment of the film<br />
is typically required. However, the need for this coating<br />
or metallization can be eliminated through the use of a<br />
barrier polymer to produce a coextruded structure. This<br />
provides an additional, new option for packing foods which<br />
require an extended shelf life, while still offering clarity and<br />
compostability.<br />
The coex film processed at Eurotech used a K5A 5<br />
layer blown film lab machine in a configuration using two<br />
extruders 25 mm, and three extruders 20 mm, including the<br />
die lip of 100 mm diameter and 1.4 mm gap.<br />
The total film thicknesses of 45 µm, 280 mm width,<br />
contains Ingeo PLA 4<strong>04</strong>3D from NatureWorks and is used<br />
in the inner A layer, with an outer bubble layer E including<br />
Sukano masterbatches processing aids. These PLAbased<br />
Sukano masterbatches were specifically designed<br />
for this application. The tie layers use BTR8002P and the<br />
barrier layer uses G-polymer both from Nippon<br />
Gohsei. This combination of formulation<br />
and process conditions yielded a<br />
stable bubble, excellent film<br />
transparency, and good roll<br />
quality.<br />
Testing showed that<br />
the use of Sukano<br />
masterbatches<br />
offered increased melt<br />
strength, and therefore<br />
better processability,<br />
good transparency and<br />
better adhesion during sealing.<br />
Mechanical properties were also<br />
maintained. As an additional benefit<br />
each material used in the film has either been tested and<br />
certified or assessed to be biodegradable and industrially<br />
compostable according to European norm EN 13432. Less<br />
film sticking was managed via the use of slip agent biobased<br />
masterbatches, which increased the processing window<br />
and ensured good processability conditions and a lower<br />
COF (coefficient of friction), therefore conferring better film<br />
properties for secondary fabrication steps.<br />
For the barrier layer Nichigo G-Polymer, the World’s first<br />
Extrudable High Barrier Amorphous Vinyl Alcohol Resin,<br />
was used. This provided key benefits in packaging, such<br />
as excellent gas and aroma barrier and high transparency,<br />
while supporting compostability and recyclability properties<br />
of the final film produced. Outstanding water solubility for<br />
solution coating barrier applications and extrudability were<br />
also evident. The G-Polymer barrier is so effective that it can<br />
replace Alu-foil in many packaging applications. And even<br />
at 4mm thickness of mono-layer G-Polymer, transparency<br />
was glass-like. The tie layer BTR8002P gives high adhesion<br />
between layers, maintaining high transparency<br />
The achievement of this multilayer transparent biobased<br />
barrier film allows packaging manufacturers to count<br />
multilayer film structure as a potential replacement for<br />
conventional fossil fuel-based structures in dry food<br />
packaging such as lid films for coffee capsules or lidding<br />
films for cups and trays, flow packs, trays for snacks, and<br />
biscuits packages. And it may even extend to certain humid<br />
foods such as ham, fish, and meat when used with proper<br />
packaging design. MT<br />
www.sukano.com | www.natureworksllc.com<br />
www.nippon-gohsei.com | www.eurexma.com<br />
Bio-Barrier<br />
with<br />
Nichigo<br />
G-Polymer<br />
Existing<br />
Barrier<br />
(PP/EVOH/PP)<br />
Barrier Layer [µm] 13 12<br />
Humidity in Barrier [%] 26 4<br />
WVTR [g/capsule<br />
day]<br />
OTR [cm 3 /capsule<br />
day Air]<br />
38°C 90%RH 0.059 0.007<br />
23°C Inner Dry,<br />
Outer 50%RH<br />
0.0002 0.0008<br />
42 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
From Science & Research<br />
Bioplastic made of cactus<br />
(Photo: EFE)<br />
With the juice of nopal, a plant of the cactus family and<br />
basic ingredient in Mexican cuisine, a Mexican researcher<br />
has created a natural biodegradable plastic<br />
that can reduce pollution.<br />
Sandra Pascoe, from the Universidad del Valle de Atemajac<br />
(Univa) in Guadalajara, western Mexico, developed this plastic<br />
after several experiments with this cactus often used in salads<br />
and traditional Mexican stews.<br />
At first, she experimented with dried pieces of nopal, which<br />
she mixed with additives, but the process was slow and the<br />
physical and chemical characteristics changed a lot. “The<br />
material oxidized quickly”, she told the Mexican news agency<br />
EFE.<br />
Sandra then began to use the juice of the species’opuntia<br />
ficus indica’, the most common among the nopal trees and<br />
widely used as a vegetable. Later she took the so-called<br />
opuntia megacantha, which is famous for its fruit called tuna,<br />
very juicy but covered all over with thorns.<br />
“Basically, the plastic is made from the sugars in the nopal<br />
juice, the monosaccharides and polysaccharides it contains,”<br />
the researcher explained.<br />
Sandra pointed out that the cactus has a very viscous<br />
consistency that comes from these sugars, pectin and organic<br />
acids and “that viscosity is what we are taking advantage of so<br />
that a solid material can be produced”, she said.<br />
In her lab at the Department of Exact Sciences and<br />
Engineering, Pascoe glycerol, natural waxes, proteins and<br />
colorants with the juice after it has been strained to remove its<br />
fibers, creating a formula that is then dried on a hot plate to<br />
produce thin sheets of plastic.<br />
This process was registered with the Mexican Institute<br />
of Intellectual Property (IMPI) in 2014 and the development<br />
became possible with funding from the National Council of<br />
Science and Technology (Conacyt) of Mexico.<br />
The researcher told EFE that with the support of the<br />
campus of Biological and Agricultural Sciences of the<br />
University of Guadalajara, she is in the process of investigating<br />
the degradation characteristics of this plastic, i.e. in what<br />
conditions and how long it takes to decompose in a natural<br />
environment.<br />
“We have done very simple degradation tests in the<br />
laboratory. We have put it for example in water and we found<br />
that it does disintegrate. However, we still need to do a<br />
chemical test to see if the material has really been completely<br />
disintegrated. We have also done tests on moistened compost<br />
soil and the material is also disintegrated”, she added.<br />
Sandra said that in addition to shopping bags, the nopal<br />
juice plastic could be used for applications such as cosmetic<br />
containers, imitation jewelry and toys.<br />
Tests are currently being conducted to establish how much<br />
weight the plastic can bear which will help determine what<br />
other products it could be used for.<br />
She explained that projects have already been done at<br />
student level to generate prototypes “very simple and it is clear<br />
that there is potential to do a lot more with this material”.<br />
At the moment thermal properties and the density of the<br />
plastic are being determined to learn how much weight it<br />
can resist in case of being transformed into bags and other<br />
products.<br />
The next step on the path towards commercialization will be<br />
to make or buy a machine that can produce prototypes of the<br />
plastic bags in order to market them to businesses.<br />
The innovation is in the process of being patented. Once this is<br />
granted by the IMPI, it will be possible to generate agreements<br />
to transfer the technology to interested companies, Sandra<br />
Pascoe concluded. MT Source: EFE tinyurl.com/cactusplastic<br />
(Photo: Kerstin Neumeister)<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 43
From Science & Research<br />
From coffee grounds to plastic<br />
Introduction<br />
Europe is one of the largest importers of coffee. However,<br />
currently industrial utilization of the coffee grounds generated<br />
during production is carried out only to a limited extent [1], [2].<br />
Some companies already have recognized the potential of<br />
the “coffee ground” residue and have even brought plastic<br />
products to the market containing coffee grounds (3D printing<br />
filaments, cappuccino cups, yarns, etc. [3] [4] [5]). However,<br />
there are no (biobased) plastic compounds containing coffee<br />
grounds commercially available on the market, which are<br />
suitable for processing methods like injection molding or<br />
extrusion blow molding.<br />
In a first feasibility study in 2016, the processing as well as<br />
the effect of the residues on biobased polymers were analyzed<br />
at the IfBB - Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites,<br />
University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hanover [2]. To save<br />
fossil raw materials like crude oil, coffee grounds have been<br />
primarily used as a filler to substitute conventional polymers.<br />
Furthermore, the residues were used as a colouring agent<br />
in different kinds of polymers. In the current project, novel<br />
fully biobased composites, especially for applications such<br />
as coffee consumer goods, computer accessories and for the<br />
office sector are being developed and modified.<br />
Used material<br />
The additivation of the coffee grounds was carried out in a<br />
PLA matrix (injection molding type). Other additives such as<br />
an impact modifier (IPM) and wood fibers (NF) were also used<br />
to enhance the performance (improved load transmission<br />
through fiber reinforcement) and appearance.<br />
Coffee Grounds<br />
Large differences in the particle size or agglutination of the<br />
coffee grounds leads to agglomeration during extrusion, as<br />
previous studies show. Therefore, a non-homogenous dosage<br />
of the coffee grounds into plastic would hinder an industrial<br />
processing [2]. For an optimized process and to control, as<br />
well as to determine, material properties (stiffness, strength,<br />
crystallization, etc.), the quality control of particle size and<br />
distribution of the coffee grounds are decisive.<br />
Figure 1: SEM image (magnification: 100X) PLA + Coffee grounds + NF<br />
coffee grounds<br />
NF<br />
44 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
From Science & Research<br />
By:<br />
Daniela Jahn, Sebastian Spierling, Andrea Siebert-Raths<br />
IfBB – Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites,<br />
Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts – IfBB<br />
Hanover, Germany<br />
Experimental Procedure<br />
For extrusion processing, a technical co-rotating<br />
KraussMaffei twin-screw extruder ZE 34 Basic was used. The<br />
matrix and impact modifier were added at the beginning of the<br />
extruder in the melting zone. The dosage of coffee grounds<br />
and natural fibers was conducted via a side feeder unit.<br />
Adapted screw configurations enabled a cautious<br />
incorporation without damaging the PLA, the residue or the<br />
fibers. Due to specific screw configurations, predrying of the<br />
material was not required, i.e. prior opened vacuum degassing<br />
extracts the remaining humidity during the process.<br />
For production of test specimens via injection moulding, a<br />
KraussMaffei KM50-180 AX injection moulding machine was<br />
used (tensile test bars type 1A DIN EN ISO 527).To prevent<br />
molecular chain degradation by hydrolysis, pellets were dried<br />
before processing under 500 ppm) [6]. Subsequently, the<br />
microstructures and mechanical and thermal-mechanical<br />
properties of the coffee ground compounds were determined.<br />
Material Properties<br />
To analyze the connection of coffee particles and natural<br />
fibers in the PLA, the samples were analyzed by scanning<br />
electron microscopy (SEM). Figure 1 shows the coffee particles<br />
and natural fibers fully embedded in the PLA matrix. Thus, a<br />
good fiber-matrix adhesion, which results in an optimized load<br />
transmission of the fibers/coffee particles under mechanical<br />
loads, could be realized.<br />
As known from the literature, by adding fillers or fibers as a<br />
function of the concentration the flowability (MFR) and impact<br />
strength is reduced. By implication, the tensile modulus is<br />
increased [7]. The situation is similar with the coffee grounds<br />
used (Figure 2). Both with coffee grounds and with natural<br />
fibers, the impact strengths are reduced, which in turn<br />
increased the tensile modulus of elasticity. Due to the<br />
addition of particles and fibers, a reduction in the cycle<br />
time during the injection molding process was identified<br />
for all the materials. This positive effect suggests that the<br />
crystallinity (K) of the materials was increased.<br />
Figure 2: Thermomechanical<br />
properties<br />
of coffee grounds<br />
compounds<br />
Tensile<br />
strength<br />
150%<br />
PLA<br />
Cycle<br />
time<br />
100%<br />
50%<br />
Tensile<br />
modulus<br />
PLA + Coffee<br />
grounds<br />
PLA + 10% NF<br />
0%<br />
HDT-B<br />
Impact<br />
strength<br />
PLA + 10% Coffee<br />
grounds + 10% NF<br />
PLA + 10% Coffee<br />
grounds + 10% NF<br />
+ 8% IPM<br />
MFR<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 45
From Science & Research<br />
This usually leads to the fact, that the materials in the injection<br />
molding process achieve the dimensional stability in such a<br />
way that they can be ejected earlier (reduced cycle time).<br />
However, the increase of K is not apparent from the HDT-B.<br />
The degree of crystallization (K) is determined according to<br />
a melting enthalpy (ΔHm) of the second DSC heating curve<br />
(DSC 2<strong>04</strong> F1 Phoenix Netzsch) using the material dependent<br />
theoretical value for a 100% crystalline material. For PLA, this<br />
theoretical value is 93 J/g (ΔHLit )(Figure 3) [8].<br />
The degree of crystallization can be calculated by the<br />
formula (K = (∆Hm )/(∆HLit.)*100 [%] ) [9].<br />
Depending on PLA, the melting enthalpy and the crystallinity<br />
is increased by the addition of residues and / or fibers from<br />
©<br />
©<br />
-Institut.eu | <strong>2018</strong><br />
-Institut.eu | 2017<br />
Full study available at www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
Full study available at www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
©<br />
-Institut.eu | 2017<br />
Full study available at www.bio-based.eu/markets<br />
Bio- and CO 2 -based Polymers & Building Blocks<br />
The best market reports available<br />
Data for<br />
2017<br />
Bio-based Building Blocks<br />
and Polymers – Global Capacities<br />
and Trends 2017-2022<br />
Bio-based polymers:<br />
Evolution of worldwide production capacities from 2011 to 2022<br />
Million Tonnes<br />
6<br />
5<br />
4<br />
3<br />
Dedicated<br />
Drop-in<br />
Smart Drop-in<br />
without<br />
bio-based PUR<br />
2<br />
1<br />
2011<br />
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 <strong>2018</strong> 2019 2020 2021 2022<br />
18-05-22<br />
Authors: Raj Chinthapalli, Michael Carus, Wolfgang Baltus,<br />
Doris de Guzman, Harald Käb, Achim Raschka, Jan Ravenstijn,<br />
<strong>2018</strong><br />
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at<br />
www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
Commercialisation updates on<br />
bio-based building blocks<br />
Standards and labels for<br />
bio-based products<br />
Bio-based polymers, a revolutionary change<br />
Comprehensive trend report on PHA, PLA, PUR/TPU, PA<br />
and polymers based on FDCA and SA: Latest developments,<br />
producers, drivers and lessons learnt<br />
million t/a<br />
Selected bio-based building blocks: Evolution of worldwide<br />
production capacities from 2011 to 2021<br />
3,5<br />
actual data<br />
forecast<br />
3<br />
2,5<br />
Bio-based polymers, a<br />
revolutionary change<br />
2<br />
1,5<br />
Jan Ravenstijn 2017<br />
1<br />
0,5<br />
Picture: Gehr Kunststoffwerk<br />
2011<br />
2012<br />
2013<br />
2014<br />
2015 2016 2017 <strong>2018</strong> 2019 2020<br />
2021<br />
L-LA<br />
Succinic<br />
acid<br />
Epichlorohydrin<br />
1,4-BDO<br />
MEG<br />
2,5-FDCA<br />
Ethylene<br />
D-LA<br />
Sebacic<br />
1,3-PDO<br />
acid<br />
11-Aminoundecanoic acid<br />
MPG<br />
DDDA<br />
Lactide<br />
Adipic<br />
acid<br />
E-mail: j.ravenstijn@kpnmail.nl<br />
Mobile: +31.6.2247.8593<br />
Author: Doris de Guzman, Tecnon OrbiChem, United Kingdom<br />
July 2017<br />
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at<br />
www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
Authors: Lara Dammer, Michael Carus and Dr. Asta Partanen<br />
nova-Institut GmbH, Germany<br />
May 2017<br />
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at<br />
www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
Author: Jan Ravenstijn, Jan Ravenstijn Consulting, the Netherlands<br />
April 2017<br />
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at<br />
www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
Policies impacting bio-based<br />
plastics market development<br />
and plastic bags legislation in Europe<br />
Asian markets for bio-based chemical<br />
building blocks and polymers<br />
Market study on the consumption<br />
of biodegradable and compostable<br />
plastic products in Europe<br />
2015 and 2020<br />
Share of Asian production capacity on global production by polymer in 2016<br />
100%<br />
A comprehensive market research report including<br />
consumption figures by polymer and application types<br />
as well as by geography, plus analyses of key players,<br />
relevant policies and legislation and a special feature on<br />
biodegradation and composting standards and labels<br />
80%<br />
60%<br />
Bestsellers<br />
40%<br />
20%<br />
0%<br />
PBS(X)<br />
APC –<br />
cyclic<br />
PA<br />
PET<br />
PTT<br />
PBAT<br />
Starch<br />
Blends<br />
PHA<br />
PLA<br />
PE<br />
Disposable<br />
tableware<br />
Biowaste<br />
bags<br />
Carrier<br />
bags<br />
Rigid<br />
packaging<br />
Flexible<br />
packaging<br />
Authors: Dirk Carrez, Clever Consult, Belgium<br />
Jim Philp, OECD, France<br />
Dr. Harald Kaeb, narocon Innovation Consulting, Germany<br />
Lara Dammer & Michael Carus, nova-Institute, Germany<br />
March 2017<br />
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at<br />
www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
Author: Wolfgang Baltus, Wobalt Expedition Consultancy, Thailand<br />
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at<br />
www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
Authors: Harald Kaeb (narocon, lead), Florence Aeschelmann,<br />
Lara Dammer, Michael Carus (nova-Institute)<br />
April 2016<br />
The full market study (more than 300 slides, 3,500€) is available at<br />
bio-based.eu/top-downloads.<br />
www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 47
Basics<br />
Biocatalytic process<br />
to produce FDCA<br />
By:<br />
Stephan Roest<br />
Market Development Manager<br />
Corbion<br />
Gorinchem, The Netherlands<br />
PEF has become the popular new plastic on the block,<br />
and companies like Corbion (Gorinchem, The Netherlands)<br />
are working hard on its market introduction.<br />
The new monomer FDCA is key to the plastic, and makes<br />
it possible to produce PEF as an alternative to for instance<br />
PET. Of all the companies working on the commercial-scale<br />
production of FDCA, Corbion is the only one that uses a biocatalytic<br />
route to produce FDCA from sugars.<br />
Corbion is pioneering a highly efficient biocatalytic<br />
process to produce 2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) as<br />
a monomer for the bioplastic PEF (polyethylenefuranoate).<br />
Corbion has been developing this route since 2013, when<br />
it obtained the biotechnology route with the acquisition of<br />
biotech company Bird Engineering. The biocatalytic route<br />
to FDCA is a perfect match with Corbion’s fermentation and<br />
purification experience and capabilities in lactic acid.<br />
Like a jacuzzi<br />
Starting from C6 sugars, Corbion first produces the<br />
intermediate 5-hydroxymethylfuryfral (HMF). The raw-<br />
HMF is then fed to microorganisms that transfers the HMF<br />
into FDCA. Conventional ways use selective oxidation with<br />
platinum (or other noble metal or non-noble metal) catalysts.<br />
One advantage of Corbion’s biocatalytic process is that is<br />
has very mild conditions: to get the best production from<br />
the microorganisms, the process has to be as comfortable<br />
as possible for them, being: neutral pH, no-pressure, 37 °C<br />
and a bit of aeration. You can picture it as a jacuzzi!<br />
On top of that, due to the enzymatic conversion, the<br />
process shows very high yields (>99%) and has a very high<br />
selectivity resulting in high purity FDCA with virtually no byproduct.<br />
This also allows to use raw-HMF without the need<br />
to purify the HMF inbetween.<br />
Corbion has been purifying organic acids from<br />
fermentation-broths for over 85 years which is a great<br />
experience to build on when it comes to purifying the FDCA<br />
from the broth. This process results in a very pure polymergrade<br />
FDCA that has found its use in many polymer and<br />
chemical applications already, that are now being tested<br />
and validated for market introduction.<br />
Making PEF a reality<br />
FDCA can replace oil-based purified terephthalic<br />
acid (PTA), as used to produce PET and a wide variety<br />
of other plastics. FDCA is not a direct replacement for<br />
PTA, as PEF is not a direct replacement for PET since<br />
their chemical structures are slightly different. However,<br />
they are sufficiently similar to allow FDCA to be used in<br />
combination with monoethylene glycol (MEG) in existing<br />
PET polymerization plants , making FDCA an infrastructure<br />
drop-in.<br />
PEF is a sustainable bioplastic that – if combined with<br />
biobased MEG - can be produced 100% biobased, boosting<br />
the sustainability credentials in key applications such as<br />
packaging.<br />
PEF bioplastic has already attracted a lot of attention<br />
as promising material across several industries, as<br />
manufacturers can see its potentially huge impact on the<br />
world. The benefits are clear (see table below). For food<br />
and beverages, for example, PEF enables to keep the<br />
products fresh longer than PET, due to the higher barrierproperties<br />
of the material. This also reduces the amount<br />
of food waste. Compared to PET, PEF is stronger allowing<br />
for further light weighting of a packaging product, saving<br />
material and transportation costs. Also the higher glass<br />
transition temperature is of value: as it is above 85 °C, the<br />
PEF allows for hot-filling of nutritious or oxygen sensitive<br />
drinks, like sports-drinks, without the need to enforce the<br />
top and shoulder of the bottle with extra material, that is<br />
nowadays is required for PET.<br />
Choosing biobased plastics like PEF means contributing<br />
to the transition towards a circular economy. Not only can<br />
PEF be recycled, just as well as PET, but it is also fully<br />
biobased which means a decoupling from fossil resources.<br />
With these advantages, it’s not hard to see why PEF has<br />
become so popular in the last couple of years.<br />
PEF properties table<br />
PEF PET Benefit<br />
Barrier O 2<br />
6 – 10 x 1 x<br />
• Increased shelf life / reduced food waste<br />
• No need for additional barrier layers<br />
CO 2<br />
4 – 6 x 1 x<br />
• Increased shelf life / reduced food waste<br />
• No need for additional barrier layers<br />
H 2<br />
O 2 x 1 x • Better performance in warm and humid areas<br />
Mechanical<br />
Tensile<br />
Modulus<br />
~1.6 x 1 x<br />
• Perfect for rigid bottles / Increased top load<br />
• Allow for further light-weighting<br />
Thermal T g<br />
(°C) 86 – 87 74 – 79 • Hot-filling at 85 °C of oxygen sensitive drinks (PET bottle needs enforcement to allow this)<br />
T m<br />
(°C)<br />
213 –<br />
235<br />
234 –<br />
265<br />
• Co-extrusion possibilities<br />
• Reduced processing temperatures<br />
48 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
Basics<br />
COMPEO<br />
Corbion makes it happen<br />
The people at Corbion are excited to be at the<br />
forefront of this innovation in this field. For FDCA and<br />
PEF, they are actively working together with partners<br />
throughout the value chain – from sugar suppliers to<br />
brand owners – to introduce this new material to the<br />
market on commercial scale, and make it happen.<br />
Leading compounding technology<br />
for heat- and shear-sensitive plastics<br />
HO<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
OH<br />
O<br />
FDCA<br />
HO<br />
OH<br />
PTA<br />
www.corbion.com<br />
Development of PEF film by Corbion<br />
Uniquely efficient. Incredibly versatile. Amazingly flexible.<br />
With its new COMPEO Kneader series, BUSS continues<br />
to offer continuous compounding solutions that set the<br />
standard for heat- and shear-sensitive applications, in all<br />
industries, including for biopolymers.<br />
• Moderate, uniform shear rates<br />
• Extremely low temperature profile<br />
• Efficient injection of liquid components<br />
• Precise temperature control<br />
• High filler loadings<br />
www.busscorp.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 49
Basics<br />
PEF and PET bottle recycling<br />
Last year Synvina, the joint venture of Avantium and BASF,<br />
received interim approval from the European PET bottle<br />
platform (EPBP) for the market introduction of PEF up to<br />
2 % of the total European PET consumption. The actual recyclability<br />
of a PEF end-product, as any product, will however depend<br />
on how it is designed and where it is launched, influencing<br />
what type of collection and sorting infrastructure is present and<br />
if this can divert the products components to recycled material<br />
streams. Why then, did the EPBP already grant an interim approval?<br />
One of the reasons was that Synvina already at an early<br />
stage gathered and shared a significant amount of data that<br />
demonstrated that PEF is not only sortable, but that low levels of<br />
PEF are compatible with PET. Although not unique, this is a rare<br />
feature for plastics while the more common incompatibility has<br />
caused issues for some bioplastics in the past. In this article we<br />
take a deeper look into the nature of this compatibility and how<br />
it can put PEF in a unique position for a circular bottle economy.<br />
Why introduce a new bottle material?<br />
PET bottles are amongst the most successful examples<br />
of plastics recycling. However, in smaller size bottles, PET by<br />
itself is not always able to reach a logistically relevant shelf life.<br />
For example the mechanical criteria of a 8 oz (237ml) bottle<br />
can be met with 9-13 grams of PET while yielding a CO 2<br />
shelf<br />
life of only 4-6 weeks (4.2→3.5 Vol). To increase this, a bottle<br />
is often complemented by a coating or barrier layer. Coating<br />
equipment is not always economically attractive, for example<br />
if (seasonal) demand changes require flexible output. Using<br />
multilayer preforms for bottle production on the other hand may<br />
impose recyclability limitations for the bottles; infrared sorting<br />
equipment may still recognize them as PET while the barrier<br />
layer, if not removed, may disrupt rPET quality.<br />
PEF has been previously shown to enable logistically<br />
attractive shelf lives in small bottles and this is continuously<br />
being improved, as exemplified by the recent achievement of 16<br />
and 20 weeks shelf life in 10g and 14g PEF bottles respectively.<br />
Simultaneously PEF more and more exceeds mechanical<br />
performance over PET, while PET remains economically<br />
unattractive to produce from 100 % renewable sources. As such,<br />
PEF is becoming increasingly attractive as a bioplastic that<br />
brings material reductions beyond any other solution for small<br />
size plastic bottles. And because PEF is chemically different<br />
than any other plastic, near-infrared sorting equipment can<br />
automatically sort them from the PET stream.<br />
Controlling after-use material streams<br />
As most new (non-drop-in) bioplastics, PEF is chemically<br />
different from known materials and therefore has a unique<br />
infrared spectrum. This allows PEF bottles to be sorted out<br />
using automated near-infrared (NIR) sorting technology.<br />
Recent ambitions for higher recycling targets drive increased<br />
use of such technology to create separate streams beyond<br />
the most common streams of PET and HDPE, for example<br />
PP, PS and opaque PET. These infrastructure changes may<br />
also accommodate the creation of streams for bioplastics with<br />
interesting end-of-life options such as composting or recycling<br />
into new high value products. In the case of PEF, the similar<br />
chemistry to PET may even allow the use of existing PET<br />
Vol. CO2<br />
Vol. CO2<br />
4,30<br />
4,20<br />
4,10<br />
4,00<br />
3,90<br />
3,80<br />
3,70<br />
3,60<br />
3,50<br />
3,40<br />
3,30<br />
0 5 10 15 20 25<br />
4,30<br />
4,20<br />
4,10<br />
4,00<br />
3,90<br />
3,80<br />
3,70<br />
3,60<br />
3,50<br />
3,40<br />
Weeks<br />
3,30<br />
0 5 10 15 20 25<br />
Weeks<br />
237 mL Bole<br />
-17.5% CO 2<br />
237 mL Bole<br />
-17.5% CO 2<br />
recycling technology and assets. Nevertheless, automated<br />
sorting is not fail-safe and many recovery systems rely to a<br />
large extent on human sorting, either by the consumer or by<br />
professional sorters, for whom a PEF bottle is not always easy<br />
to distinguish from PET.<br />
PEF and PET compatibility<br />
Synvina has done multiple recycling tests using PEF and<br />
PET resins and bottle flakes, and consistently found that low<br />
levels of PEF did not affect the thermal profile of PET in a DSC<br />
experiment, while increasing levels started to induce melt point<br />
depression particularly at longer extrusion times. Furthermore,<br />
extrudates remained transparent. Further analysis by 13C NMR<br />
showed increased splitting of the furan ring ipso carbon with<br />
increased residence time, which an earlier study on PET copolyesters<br />
attributed to a transition from a blocky long-segment<br />
to a random co-polyester [1]. These observations confirm that<br />
PEF and PET undergo trans-esterification during processing,<br />
yielding a random co-polyester as the end-product. Extruded<br />
pellets remained transparent and had a lower tendency to form<br />
crystalline haze than neat reprocessed PET.<br />
50 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
Basics<br />
By:<br />
Jesper van Berkel, Technical Application Manager, Synvina<br />
Amsterdam, The Netherland<br />
The 2 % and 5 % concentrations were selected for testing<br />
following the EPBP protocol at PTI Europe, which comprises<br />
the typical steps of a recycling process at 5kg-scale. These<br />
steps are outlined below with some of the critical control<br />
points.<br />
• Bottle grinding g Dust formation<br />
• Flake washing & Drying g Flake and/or water<br />
discoloration, sticking<br />
PEF in PET T g, mid<br />
T m, peak<br />
0 % 79 °C 249 °C<br />
2 % 79 °C 248 °C<br />
5 % 78 °C 247 °C<br />
10 % 78 °C 245-247 °C<br />
25 % 76 °C, 86 °C 207 °C, 240-246 °C<br />
• Re-extrusion into pellets g IV loss, side products or<br />
fumes<br />
• Solid State Polymerization g IV build, sticking of pellets<br />
• Injection into plaques/bottles with 50 % vPET g<br />
Transparency, color, bottle properties<br />
PEF in RPET (plaques following EPBP route with 50 % vPET)<br />
2x<br />
g<br />
PEF Molecule<br />
PET Molecules<br />
{<br />
None of the steps in the recycling process were found to<br />
display surprising phenomena in the presence of PEF, and all<br />
intermediate and final intrinsic viscosity measurements yielded<br />
comparable values. The only notable difference was that for<br />
the 5% loading the coloration of final plaques, as expressed by<br />
Δb* = 2.1 compared to the PET reference, was higher than the<br />
acceptable range of Δb* = 1.5. This is an aspect which we expect<br />
to improve with further improvements in PEF resin color. 1.5 L<br />
Bottles could be blown of the final resin, yielding properties as<br />
per the table below.<br />
Conclusion<br />
PEF can serve as a high value bioplastic material for<br />
applications where PET alone is not sufficient, and opposed<br />
to other barrier technologies this value can be retained when<br />
the bottles are recycled. Although yet to be demonstrated at<br />
scale, this can offer many opportunities; PET bales with nonrecyclable<br />
barrier bottles can be avoided, while PET bales with<br />
PEF may be used to reduce haze formation or as a source of<br />
separately accumulated PEF for individual rPEF campaigns<br />
with high value output. Ultimately, a separate stream of PEF<br />
bales can be created for an effective after-use economy.<br />
[1] H. Ma, M. Hibbs, D.M. Collard, S. Kumar, D.A. Shiraldi, Macromolecules<br />
2002 (35), 5123-5130<br />
www.synvina.com<br />
Property<br />
(1.5L 43g<br />
bottle)<br />
Final<br />
composition<br />
Burst<br />
Pressure<br />
Vol incr. at<br />
burst<br />
Thermal<br />
stability<br />
Drop test<br />
vertical 4°C<br />
Drop test<br />
vertical 22°C<br />
Top Load<br />
@1.0 mm<br />
deflection<br />
Method<br />
Mass<br />
balance<br />
Linear<br />
increase<br />
Linear<br />
increase<br />
4.25 vol CO 2<br />
,<br />
24h 38°C,<br />
Base pushup<br />
1.8 m,<br />
vertical<br />
bottom<br />
down, 72h<br />
1.8 m,<br />
vertical<br />
bottom<br />
down, 72h<br />
Typical<br />
Result<br />
PET<br />
2% Route 2 5% Route 2<br />
PET+<br />
1% PEF<br />
PET+2.5%<br />
PEF<br />
11.0 bar 11.8 bar 11.5 bar<br />
565 mL 594 mL 565 mL<br />
-4.0 mm -4.2 mm -4.1 mm<br />
8/8 OK 8/8 OK 8/8 OK<br />
8/8 OK 8/8 OK 8/8 OK<br />
Empty 225 N 240 N 225 N<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 51
Automotive<br />
Surr<br />
complex<br />
of<br />
10<br />
Years ago<br />
Published in<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE<br />
Electronics<br />
Surround system of loudspeaker boxes with<br />
spherical shape: housing material Arboform<br />
of 10 mm wall thickness, lacquer coated<br />
Lignin Matrix Composites<br />
for Loudspeaker Boxes<br />
Article contributed by<br />
H. Nägele, J. Pfitzer, both of Tecnaro<br />
GmbH, Ilsfeld-Auenstein, Germany<br />
N. Eisenreich, W. Eckl, E. Inone-<br />
Kauffmann, E. Walschburger all<br />
Fraunhofer-ICT, Pfinztal,Germany<br />
B<br />
iocomposites obtained exclusively from renewable<br />
resources meet the requirements of sustainable<br />
processes and eco-innovation, and will expand future<br />
material research for engineering applications in industry.<br />
The properties, treatment and processing of these<br />
materials have to meet industrial standards concerning<br />
raw materials from biomass, fibres, wood extraction constituents<br />
and biopolymers, to enable their supply to mass<br />
consumer goods manufacturers, the construction industry,<br />
and the automotive and electronics industries. Thermoplastic<br />
matrices of composites include biopolymers such as<br />
polylactide (PLA), polyhydroxy-butyrate (PHB) and starch,<br />
as well as lignin from the paper industry. Reinforcement is<br />
carried out by the use of natural short fibres from hemp,<br />
flax and wood 1-4 . The natural polymer lignin is generated<br />
as a by-product of the pulp and paper industry, at a rate<br />
of approximately 60 million tonnes in chemical pulp mills<br />
every year, worldwide. This biomass extraction can also be<br />
carried out in an environmentally friendly way by using only<br />
water 5,6 . Thermal use of lignin for the power supply of the<br />
chemical pulp mills dominates its current utilisation rather<br />
than its use as a material for components. Its integration as<br />
a component in engineering materials has proven to be difficult<br />
7,8 . However, recent work has succeeded in establishing<br />
lignin as the main component of a new class of engineering<br />
materials: Arboform®, based only on renewable resources,<br />
applicable for use in industrial equipment parts 9,10 . Technical<br />
advantages of these materials over synthetic polymers,<br />
such as the acoustic properties of lignin matrix composites<br />
(Arboform), could strongly support their application.<br />
The material consists of lignin, natural fibres for<br />
reinforcement, and natural additives to support processing<br />
and performance. It exhibits wood-like properties. Various<br />
sources of lignin - from different pulping procedures - and<br />
of natural fibres such as wood, hemp, flax, sisal, kenaf<br />
etc. - can be used. The choice of the lignin depends on the<br />
application field of the product. However, the material can<br />
be processed like a thermoplastic material and used for<br />
various engineering products. The processing includes:<br />
• Mixing of the constituents: ligni<br />
(30-60%) and natural additives<br />
mixer.<br />
• Pelletizing of the mixture at amb<br />
granules. This step avoids comp<br />
used for plastic compounds<br />
• Processing of the granules at rela<br />
by standard injection moulding (<br />
facture parts<br />
This processing of lignin com<br />
on standard industrial injection m<br />
synthetic plastic resins. The tempe<br />
from 100°C in zone 1 to 170°C in z<br />
temperature can be between 155 and<br />
nozzle (2.5 – 4.0 mm). The back-pr<br />
high enough to enable a smooth rotat<br />
injection pressure is relatively high (>1<br />
injection speed. The holding pressure<br />
of the machine’s capacity and the rela<br />
seconds. The cooling time must be ext<br />
compared to that of a synthetic thermo<br />
The mould tools should be desig<br />
production of special materials. Impor<br />
design should take into account:<br />
• The shrinkage on injection moulding i<br />
not exceed 0.3%<br />
• Core-pullers should be foreseen for d<br />
are useful to achieve fast working cycle<br />
• Hot runner nozzles work only in limited<br />
Depending on the fibre content the<br />
can vary between 2 and 8 GPa and th<br />
Strength between 2 and 6 kJ/m 2 , but the<br />
be extended to 16 by the use of impac<br />
elongation at fracture is between 0.3-0.6<br />
expansion coefficient establishes below 5<br />
no resonance frequencies are found and a<br />
of vibration leads to excellent acoustic pr<br />
enables the material to be used in loudspeak<br />
Two types of loudspeaker housings wer<br />
manufactured according to the procedures d<br />
The material itself exhibits a unique structu<br />
from part to part (see fig. 1). Original colour<br />
brown, green and red. Figures 2 and 3 show<br />
boxes including a lacquered surface finish.<br />
info@tecnaro.de<br />
eri@ict.fraunhofer.de<br />
Housing parts of the complex loudspeaker<br />
design as obtained directly from the mould<br />
16 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/08] Vol. 3<br />
52 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
Automotive<br />
In July <strong>2018</strong>, Helmut Nägele<br />
Managing Director, Tecnaro says:<br />
ound system of loudspeaker boxes,<br />
shape: housing material Arboform<br />
with 5 mm wall thickness, lacquer<br />
coated<br />
n (40-70%), natural fibres<br />
(
Suppliers Guide<br />
1. Raw Materials<br />
Simply contact:<br />
Tel.: +49 2161 6884467<br />
suppguide@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
Stay permanently listed in the<br />
Suppliers Guide with your company<br />
logo and contact information.<br />
For only 6,– EUR per mm, per issue you<br />
can be present among top suppliers in<br />
the field of bioplastics.<br />
For Example:<br />
AGRANA Starch<br />
Bioplastics<br />
Conrathstraße 7<br />
A-3950 Gmuend, Austria<br />
bioplastics.starch@agrana.com<br />
www.agrana.com<br />
BASF SE<br />
Ludwigshafen, Germany<br />
Tel: +49 621 60-9995<br />
martin.bussmann@basf.com<br />
www.ecovio.com<br />
PTT MCC Biochem Co., Ltd.<br />
info@pttmcc.com / www.pttmcc.com<br />
Tel: +66(0) 2 140-3563<br />
MCPP Germany GmbH<br />
+49 (0) 152-018 920 51<br />
frank.steinbrecher@mcpp-europe.com<br />
MCPP France SAS<br />
+33 (0) 6 07 22 25 32<br />
fabien.resweber@mcpp-europe.com<br />
Jincheng, Lin‘an, Hangzhou,<br />
Zhejiang 311300, P.R. China<br />
China contact: Grace Jin<br />
mobile: 0086 135 7578 9843<br />
Grace@xinfupharm.comEurope<br />
contact(Belgium): Susan Zhang<br />
mobile: 0032 478 991619<br />
zxh0612@hotmail.com<br />
www.xinfupharm.com<br />
1.1 bio based monomers<br />
1.2 compounds<br />
Cardia Bioplastics<br />
Suite 6, 205-211 Forster Rd<br />
Mt. Waverley, VIC, 3149 Australia<br />
Tel. +61 3 85666800<br />
info@cardiabioplastics.com<br />
www.cardiabioplastics.com<br />
API S.p.A.<br />
Via Dante Alighieri, 27<br />
36065 Mussolente (VI), Italy<br />
Telephone +39 <strong>04</strong>24 579711<br />
www.apiplastic.com<br />
www.apinatbio.com<br />
FKuR Kunststoff GmbH<br />
Siemensring 79<br />
D - 47 877 Willich<br />
Tel. +49 2154 9251-0<br />
Tel.: +49 2154 9251-51<br />
sales@fkur.com<br />
www.fkur.com<br />
GRAFE-Group<br />
Waldecker Straße 21,<br />
99444 Blankenhain, Germany<br />
Tel. +49 36459 45 0<br />
www.grafe.com<br />
Green Dot Bioplastics<br />
226 Broadway | PO Box #142<br />
Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845, USA<br />
Tel.: +1 620-273-8919<br />
info@greendotholdings.com<br />
www.greendotpure.com<br />
39 mm<br />
Polymedia Publisher GmbH<br />
Dammer Str. 112<br />
41066 Mönchengladbach<br />
Germany<br />
Tel. +49 2161 664864<br />
Fax +49 2161 631<strong>04</strong>5<br />
info@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
Sample Charge:<br />
39mm x 6,00 €<br />
= 234,00 € per entry/per issue<br />
Sample Charge for one year:<br />
6 issues x 234,00 EUR = 1,4<strong>04</strong>.00 €<br />
The entry in our Suppliers Guide is<br />
bookable for one year (6 issues) and<br />
extends automatically if it’s not canceled<br />
three month before expiry.<br />
www.facebook.com<br />
www.issuu.com<br />
www.twitter.com<br />
www.youtube.com<br />
Microtec Srl<br />
Via Po’, 53/55<br />
30030, Mellaredo di Pianiga (VE),<br />
Italy<br />
Tel.: +39 <strong>04</strong>1 5190621<br />
Fax.: +39 <strong>04</strong>1 5194765<br />
info@microtecsrl.com<br />
www.biocomp.it<br />
Tel: +86 351-8689356<br />
Fax: +86 351-8689718<br />
www.jinhuizhaolong.com<br />
ecoworldsales@jinhuigroup.com<br />
Xinjiang Blue Ridge Tunhe<br />
Polyester Co., Ltd.<br />
No. 316, South Beijing Rd. Changji,<br />
Xinjiang, 831100, P.R.China<br />
Tel.: +86 994 2716865<br />
Mob: +86 18699400676<br />
maxirong@lanshantunhe.com<br />
http://www.lanshantunhe.com<br />
PBAT & PBS resin supplier<br />
BIO-FED<br />
Branch of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH<br />
BioCampus Cologne<br />
Nattermannallee 1<br />
50829 Cologne, Germany<br />
Tel.: +49 221 88 88 94-00<br />
info@bio-fed.com<br />
www.bio-fed.com<br />
Global Biopolymers Co.,Ltd.<br />
Bioplastics compounds<br />
(PLA+starch;PLA+rubber)<br />
194 Lardproa80 yak 14<br />
Wangthonglang, Bangkok<br />
Thailand 10310<br />
info@globalbiopolymers.com<br />
www.globalbiopolymers.com<br />
Tel +66 81 915<strong>04</strong>46<br />
Kingfa Sci. & Tech. Co., Ltd.<br />
No.33 Kefeng Rd, Sc. City, Guangzhou<br />
Hi-Tech Ind. Development Zone,<br />
Guangdong, P.R. China. 510663<br />
Tel: +86 (0)20 6622 1696<br />
info@ecopond.com.cn<br />
www.kingfa.com<br />
NUREL Engineering Polymers<br />
Ctra. Barcelona, km 329<br />
50016 Zaragoza, Spain<br />
Tel: +34 976 465 579<br />
inzea@samca.com<br />
www.inzea-biopolymers.com<br />
Sukano AG<br />
Chaltenbodenstraße 23<br />
CH-8834 Schindellegi<br />
Tel. +41 44 787 57 77<br />
Fax +41 44 787 57 78<br />
www.sukano.com<br />
Natureplast – Biopolynov<br />
11 rue François Arago<br />
14123 IFS<br />
Tel: +33 (0)2 31 83 50 87<br />
www.natureplast.eu<br />
54 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
Suppliers Guide<br />
TECNARO GmbH<br />
Bustadt 40<br />
D-74360 Ilsfeld. Germany<br />
Tel: +49 (0)7062/97687-0<br />
www.tecnaro.de<br />
1.3 PLA<br />
Kaneka Belgium N.V.<br />
Nijverheidsstraat 16<br />
2260 Westerlo-Oevel, Belgium<br />
Tel: +32 (0)14 25 78 36<br />
Fax: +32 (0)14 25 78 81<br />
info.biopolymer@kaneka.be<br />
TIPA-Corp. Ltd<br />
Hanagar 3 Hod<br />
Hasharon 4501306, ISRAEL<br />
P.O BOX 7132<br />
Tel: +972-9-779-6000<br />
Fax: +972 -9-7715828<br />
www.tipa-corp.com<br />
Natur-Tec ® - Northern Technologies<br />
4201 Woodland Road<br />
Circle Pines, MN 55014 USA<br />
Tel. +1 763.4<strong>04</strong>.8700<br />
Fax +1 763.225.6645<br />
info@natur-tec.com<br />
www.natur-tec.com<br />
Total Corbion PLA bv<br />
Arkelsedijk 46, P.O. Box 21<br />
4200 AA Gorinchem<br />
The Netherlands<br />
Tel.: +31 183 695 695<br />
Fax.: +31 183 695 6<strong>04</strong><br />
www.total-corbion.com<br />
pla@total-corbion.com<br />
TianAn Biopolymer<br />
No. 68 Dagang 6th Rd,<br />
Beilun, Ningbo, China, 315800<br />
Tel. +86-57 48 68 62 50 2<br />
Fax +86-57 48 68 77 98 0<br />
enquiry@tianan-enmat.com<br />
www.tianan-enmat.com<br />
1.6 masterbatches<br />
4. Bioplastics products<br />
Bio-on S.p.A.<br />
Via Santa Margherita al Colle 10/3<br />
40136 Bologna - ITALY<br />
Tel.: +39 051 392336<br />
info@bio-on.it<br />
www.bio-on.it<br />
NOVAMONT S.p.A.<br />
Via Fauser , 8<br />
28100 Novara - ITALIA<br />
Fax +39.0321.699.601<br />
Tel. +39.0321.699.611<br />
www.novamont.com<br />
6. Equipment<br />
6.1 Machinery & Molds<br />
Zhejiang Hisun Biomaterials Co.,Ltd.<br />
No.97 Waisha Rd, Jiaojiang District,<br />
Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China<br />
Tel: +86-576-88827723<br />
pla@hisunpharm.com<br />
www.hisunplas.com<br />
1.4 starch-based bioplastics<br />
GRAFE-Group<br />
Waldecker Straße 21,<br />
99444 Blankenhain, Germany<br />
Tel. +49 36459 45 0<br />
www.grafe.com<br />
Bio4Pack GmbH<br />
D-48419 Rheine, Germany<br />
Tel.: +49 (0) 5975 955 94 57<br />
info@bio4pack.com<br />
www.bio4pack.com<br />
Buss AG<br />
Hohenrainstrasse 10<br />
4133 Pratteln / Switzerland<br />
Tel.: +41 61 825 66 00<br />
Fax: +41 61 825 68 58<br />
info@busscorp.com<br />
www.busscorp.com<br />
BIOTEC<br />
Biologische Naturverpackungen<br />
Werner-Heisenberg-Strasse 32<br />
46446 Emmerich/Germany<br />
Tel.: +49 (0) 2822 – 92510<br />
info@biotec.de<br />
www.biotec.de<br />
Albrecht Dinkelaker<br />
Polymer and Product Development<br />
Blumenweg 2<br />
79669 Zell im Wiesental, Germany<br />
Tel.:+49 (0) 7625 91 84 58<br />
info@polyfea2.de<br />
www.caprowax-p.eu<br />
2. Additives/Secondary raw materials<br />
BeoPlast Besgen GmbH<br />
Bioplastics injection moulding<br />
Industriestraße 64<br />
D-40764 Langenfeld, Germany<br />
Tel. +49 2173 84840-0<br />
info@beoplast.de<br />
www.beoplast.de<br />
Molds, Change Parts and Turnkey<br />
Solutions for the PET/Bioplastic<br />
Container Industry<br />
284 Pinebush Road<br />
Cambridge Ontario<br />
Canada N1T 1Z6<br />
Tel. +1 519 624 9720<br />
Fax +1 519 624 9721<br />
info@hallink.com<br />
www.hallink.com<br />
6.2 Laboratory Equipment<br />
Grabio Greentech Corporation<br />
Tel: +886-3-598-6496<br />
No. 91, Guangfu N. Rd., Hsinchu<br />
Industrial Park,Hukou Township,<br />
Hsinchu County 30351, Taiwan<br />
sales@grabio.com.tw<br />
www.grabio.com.tw<br />
1.5 PHA<br />
GRAFE-Group<br />
Waldecker Straße 21,<br />
99444 Blankenhain, Germany<br />
Tel. +49 36459 45 0<br />
www.grafe.com<br />
3. Semi finished products<br />
3.1 films<br />
INDOCHINE C, M, Y , K BIO C , M, Y, K PLASTIQUES<br />
45, 0,90, 0<br />
10, 0, 80,0<br />
(ICBP) C, M, Y, KSDN BHD<br />
C, M, Y, K<br />
50, 0 ,0, 0<br />
0, 0, 0, 0<br />
12, Jalan i-Park SAC 3<br />
Senai Airport City<br />
81400 Senai, Johor, Malaysia<br />
Tel. +60 7 5959 159<br />
marketing@icbp.com.my<br />
www.icbp.com.my<br />
MODA: Biodegradability Analyzer<br />
SAIDA FDS INC.<br />
143-10 Isshiki, Yaizu,<br />
Shizuoka,Japan<br />
Tel:+81-54-624-6155<br />
Fax: +81-54-623-8623<br />
info_fds@saidagroup.jp<br />
www.saidagroup.jp/fds_en/<br />
7. Plant engineering<br />
Bio-on S.p.A.<br />
Via Santa Margherita al Colle 10/3<br />
40136 Bologna - ITALY<br />
Tel.: +39 051 392336<br />
info@bio-on.it<br />
www.bio-on.it<br />
Infiana Germany GmbH & Co. KG<br />
Zweibrückenstraße 15-25<br />
91301 Forchheim<br />
Tel. +49-9191 81-0<br />
Fax +49-9191 81-212<br />
www.infiana.com<br />
Minima Technology Co., Ltd.<br />
Esmy Huang, COO<br />
No.33. Yichang E. Rd., Taipin City,<br />
Taichung County<br />
411, Taiwan (R.O.C.)<br />
Tel. +886(4)2277 6888<br />
Fax +883(4)2277 6989<br />
Mobil +886(0)982-829988<br />
esmy@minima-tech.com<br />
Skype esmy325<br />
www.minima.com<br />
EREMA Engineering Recycling<br />
Maschinen und Anlagen GmbH<br />
Unterfeldstrasse 3<br />
4052 Ansfelden, AUSTRIA<br />
Phone: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-0<br />
Fax: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-23<br />
erema@erema.at<br />
www.erema.at<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13 55
Suppliers Guide<br />
‘Basics‘ book<br />
on bioplastics<br />
110 pages full<br />
color, paperback<br />
ISBN 978-3-<br />
9814981-1-0:<br />
Bioplastics<br />
ISBN 978-3-<br />
9814981-2-7:<br />
Biokunststoffe<br />
2. überarbeitete<br />
Auflage<br />
This book, created and published by Polymedia<br />
Publisher, maker of bioplastics MAGAZINE<br />
is available in English and German language<br />
(German now in the second, revised edition).<br />
The book is intended to offer a rapid and uncomplicated<br />
introduction into the subject of bioplastics, and is aimed at all<br />
interested readers, in particular those who have not yet had<br />
the opportunity to dig deeply into the subject, such as students<br />
or those just joining this industry, and lay readers. It gives<br />
an introduction to plastics and bioplastics, explains which<br />
renewable resources can be used to produce bioplastics,<br />
what types of bioplastic exist, and which ones are already on<br />
the market. Further aspects, such as market development,<br />
the agricultural land required, and waste disposal, are also<br />
examined.<br />
An extensive index allows the reader to find specific aspects<br />
quickly, and is complemented by a comprehensive literature<br />
list and a guide to sources of additional information on the<br />
Internet.<br />
Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH<br />
Holzhauser Strasse 157–159<br />
D-13509 Berlin<br />
Tel. +49 30 43 567 5<br />
Fax +49 30 43 567 699<br />
sales.de@uhde-inventa-fischer.com<br />
Uhde Inventa-Fischer AG<br />
Via Innovativa 31, CH-7013 Domat/Ems<br />
Tel. +41 81 632 63 11<br />
Fax +41 81 632 74 03<br />
sales.ch@uhde-inventa-fischer.com<br />
www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com<br />
9. Services<br />
Osterfelder Str. 3<br />
46<strong>04</strong>7 Oberhausen<br />
Tel.: +49 (0)208 8598 1227<br />
thomas.wodke@umsicht.fhg.de<br />
www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de<br />
narocon<br />
Dr. Harald Kaeb<br />
Tel.: +49 30-28096930<br />
kaeb@narocon.de<br />
www.narocon.de<br />
9. Services (continued)<br />
nova-Institut GmbH<br />
Chemiepark Knapsack<br />
Industriestrasse 300<br />
50354 Huerth, Germany<br />
Tel.: +49(0)2233-48-14 40<br />
E-Mail: contact@nova-institut.de<br />
www.biobased.eu<br />
European Bioplastics e.V.<br />
Marienstr. 19/20<br />
10117 Berlin, Germany<br />
Tel. +49 30 284 82 350<br />
Fax +49 30 284 84 359<br />
info@european-bioplastics.org<br />
www.european-bioplastics.org<br />
10.2 Universities<br />
Institut für Kunststofftechnik<br />
Universität Stuttgart<br />
Böblinger Straße 70<br />
70199 Stuttgart<br />
Tel +49 711/685-62831<br />
silvia.kliem@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de<br />
www.ikt.uni-stuttgart.de<br />
Michigan State University<br />
Dept. of Chem. Eng & Mat. Sc.<br />
Professor Ramani Narayan<br />
East Lansing MI 48824, USA<br />
Tel. +1 517 719 7163<br />
narayan@msu.edu<br />
IfBB – Institute for Bioplastics<br />
and Biocomposites<br />
University of Applied Sciences<br />
and Arts Hanover<br />
Faculty II – Mechanical and<br />
Bioprocess Engineering<br />
Heisterbergallee 12<br />
3<strong>04</strong>53 Hannover, Germany<br />
Tel.: +49 5 11 / 92 96 - 22 69<br />
Fax: +49 5 11 / 92 96 - 99 - 22 69<br />
lisa.mundzeck@hs-hannover.de<br />
www.ifbb-hannover.de/<br />
10.3 Other Institutions<br />
The author Michael Thielen is editor and publisher<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE. He is a qualified machinery design<br />
engineer with a degree in plastics technology from the RWTH<br />
University in Aachen. He has written several books on the<br />
subject of blow-moulding technology and disseminated his<br />
knowledge of plastics in numerous presentations, seminars,<br />
guest lectures and teaching assignments.<br />
Bioplastics Consulting<br />
Tel. +49 2161 664864<br />
info@polymediaconsult.com<br />
10. Institutions<br />
10.1 Associations<br />
Green Serendipity<br />
Caroli Buitenhuis<br />
IJburglaan 836<br />
1087 EM Amsterdam<br />
The Netherlands<br />
Tel.: +31 6-24216733<br />
www.greenseredipity.nl<br />
Order now for € 18.65 or US-$ 25.00<br />
(+ VAT where applicable, plus shipping and handling,<br />
ask for details) order at www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/<br />
books, by phone +49 2161 6884463 or by e-mail<br />
books@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
Or subscribe and get it as a free gift<br />
(see page 57 for details, outside Germany only)<br />
BPI - The Biodegradable<br />
Products Institute<br />
331 West 57th Street, Suite 415<br />
New York, NY 10019, USA<br />
Tel. +1-888-274-5646<br />
info@bpiworld.org<br />
56 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
Events<br />
Subscribe<br />
now at<br />
bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
the next six issues for €169.– 1)<br />
Event<br />
Calendar<br />
The 15 th ISBBB<br />
24.07.<strong>2018</strong> - 27.07.<strong>2018</strong> - Guelph, Canada<br />
http://isbbb.org<br />
You can meet us<br />
May / June<br />
Special offer<br />
for students and<br />
young professionals<br />
1,2) € 99.-<br />
2) aged 35 and below.<br />
end a scan of your<br />
student card, your ID<br />
or similar proof ...<br />
03 | <strong>2018</strong><br />
25 th Anniversary meeting of the Bio-Environmental<br />
Polymer Society (BEPS)<br />
15.08.<strong>2018</strong> - 17.08.<strong>2018</strong> - (Troy, 22.<strong>04</strong>.<strong>2018</strong> New York) - Geleen, Niederlande<br />
tinyurl.com/beps<strong>2018</strong><br />
1st PHA platform World Congress<br />
by bioplastics MAGAZINE<br />
<strong>04</strong>.09.<strong>2018</strong> - 05.09.<strong>2018</strong> - Cologne, Germany<br />
www.pha-world-congress.com<br />
Global Congress on Biotechnology<br />
06.09.<strong>2018</strong> - 07.09.<strong>2018</strong> - Bangkok, Thailand<br />
http://biotechnologycongress.alliedacademies.com/<br />
Innovation Takes Root <strong>2018</strong><br />
10.09.<strong>2018</strong> - 12.09.<strong>2018</strong> - San Diego (CA), USA<br />
www.innovationtakesroot.com/<br />
Wissensforum Biobasierte Kunststoff-Verpackungen<br />
25.09.<strong>2018</strong> - Nuremberg, Germany<br />
https://veranstaltungen.fnr.de/biokunststoffverpackung/grusswort/<br />
ISSN 1862-5258<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 13<br />
r1_05.2017<br />
Basics<br />
Castor Oil | 49<br />
Highlights<br />
Injection Moulding | 14<br />
Additives/Masterbatches | 18<br />
Cover Story:<br />
Netherlands to prohibit<br />
Oxo-degradables | 9<br />
... is read in 92 countries<br />
16 th International Symposium on Biopolymers <strong>2018</strong><br />
(ISBP <strong>2018</strong>)<br />
21.10.<strong>2018</strong> - 24.10.<strong>2018</strong> - Beijing, China<br />
www.isbp<strong>2018</strong>.com/<br />
13th European Bioplastics Conference<br />
<strong>04</strong>.12.<strong>2018</strong> - 05.12.<strong>2018</strong> - Berlin, Germany<br />
www.european-bioplastics.org/events/eubp-conference/<br />
Plastics beyond Petroleum - BioMass & Recycling<br />
25.06.2019 - 27.06.2019 - New York City Area, USA<br />
http://innoplastsolutions.com/conference.html<br />
bio!PSC: Conference on biobased packaging<br />
28.-29.05.2019 - Düsseldorf, Germany<br />
www.bio-psc.info<br />
05/05/17 11:39<br />
+<br />
or<br />
Mention the promotion code ‘watch‘ or ‘book‘<br />
and you will get our watch or the book 3)<br />
Bioplastics Basics. Applications. Markets. for free<br />
1) Offer valid until 30 Sep <strong>2018</strong><br />
3) Gratis-Buch in Deutschland nicht möglich, no free book in Germany<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. Vol. 13 13 57
Companies in this issue<br />
Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert<br />
Agrana Starch Bioplastics 33, 54<br />
Airbus 8<br />
Ajaa 26<br />
Albis Plastic 26<br />
AMIBM 10<br />
AMIBM 10<br />
Anellotech 18<br />
API 38 54<br />
Audi 26<br />
Avantium 7, 20, 50<br />
Axens 18<br />
BASF 36 54<br />
Bayern Innovativ 39<br />
Bcomp 24<br />
BeoPlast Besgen 55<br />
Bio4Pack 55<br />
Biobrush 26<br />
Bio-Fed 33 54<br />
Biomaterials Consulting 10<br />
Biomer 10 55<br />
Bio-on 14<br />
Biotec 10 55<br />
Bluepha 10<br />
BPI 41 56<br />
Braskem 8, 22, 23<br />
Buss 49, 55<br />
Caprowachs, Albrecht Dinkelaker 55<br />
Capsul'in 36<br />
Cardia Bioplastics 54<br />
Centexbel, 10<br />
Clic innovations 31<br />
Club Coffee 41<br />
Comac 8<br />
Corbion 6, 48<br />
DAB Motors 24<br />
Danimer 10<br />
DIN-Certco 9<br />
DLR 8<br />
Dr. Heinz Gupta Verlag 9<br />
Edding 26<br />
Electric GT 24<br />
Erema 21, 55<br />
EuropaBio 6<br />
European Bioplastics 19, 56<br />
Eurotech Extrusion Machinery 5, 42<br />
FKuR 10 2, 54<br />
Flex Farm technologies 6<br />
Fraunhofer UMSICHT 56<br />
FullCycle Bioplastics 10<br />
Gabriel Chemie 34<br />
Global Biopolymers 54<br />
GRABIO Greentech Corporation 55<br />
Grafe 54, 55<br />
Green Bay Decking 6<br />
Green Dot Bioplastics 54<br />
Green Serendipity 13 56<br />
grums aarhus 23<br />
Gucci 26<br />
Hallink 55<br />
Hasselt University 10<br />
Helian Polymers 10<br />
Hydal/Nafigate 10<br />
IFPEN 18<br />
Ikea 12<br />
Indochine Bio Plastiques 55<br />
Infiana Germany 55<br />
Inst. F. Bioplastics & Biocomposites 44 56<br />
Inst. f. Kunststofftechnik, Stuttgart 10 56<br />
Jelu Werk 6<br />
JinHui Zhaolong 54<br />
Kaneka 10 55<br />
Kingfa 54<br />
KraussMaffei 45<br />
LifetecVision 10<br />
MAIP 10<br />
Mango Materials 10<br />
Michigan State University 56<br />
Microtec 54<br />
Minima Technology 55<br />
Mockmill 26<br />
Modified Materials 10<br />
NaKu 16<br />
narocon InnovationConsulting 10 56<br />
Natureplast-Biopolynov 54<br />
NatureWorks 5, 42<br />
Naturtec 55<br />
Neste 12<br />
Nippon Gohsei 5, 42<br />
NNRGY 7<br />
nova Institute 10 12, 47, 56<br />
nova-Institut 8 17,32, 56<br />
Novamont 55, 60<br />
Novus 26<br />
NSF International 41<br />
Nurel 54<br />
OWS 10<br />
Paques 10<br />
PepsiCo 10<br />
Phario 10<br />
Plastic 31<br />
plasticker 37<br />
polymediaconsult 56<br />
PTT MCC Biochem 40 54<br />
Purcell Agri-Tech 10<br />
RKW 9<br />
Saida 55<br />
Scion Research 10<br />
SK Chemicals 21<br />
So Delicious 22<br />
STU Faculty Chem Food Tech 7<br />
Sukano 5, 42 54<br />
Suntory 18<br />
Swiss Coffee Company 36<br />
Synvina 50<br />
Tecnaro 6, 26, 52 55<br />
Tesla 24<br />
TGM, Vienna 1, 34<br />
TianAn Biopolymer 10 55<br />
TicToys 27<br />
Tipa 54<br />
Total Corbion PLA 23 55<br />
Trinseo 38<br />
TU Eindhoven 23<br />
Uhde-Inventa Fischer 35, 56<br />
UHU 26<br />
United Caps 8<br />
Univ Brno 7<br />
Univ del Valle de Atemajac 43<br />
Universal Forest Products 6<br />
UPM 6<br />
US Compostinf Council 41<br />
Velibre 37<br />
Velox 21<br />
VTT 31<br />
Walther Faltsysteme 22<br />
Xinjiang Blue Ridge Tunhe 54<br />
Yamaha 24<br />
Zhejiang Hangzhou Xinfu Pharm. 54<br />
Zhejiang Hisun Biomaterials 31, 54<br />
<strong>Issue</strong><br />
Editorial Planner<br />
Month<br />
05/<strong>2018</strong> Sep<br />
Oct<br />
06/<strong>2018</strong> Nov<br />
Dec<br />
Publ.<br />
Date<br />
edit/ad/<br />
Deadline<br />
<strong>2018</strong><br />
01 Oct 18 28 Sep 18 Fiber / Textile /<br />
Nonwoven<br />
03 Dec 18 02 Nov 18 Films/Flexibles/<br />
Bags<br />
Edit. Focus 1 Edit. Focus 2 Edit. Focus 3 Basics<br />
Polyurethanes/<br />
Elastomers/<br />
Rubber<br />
Bioplastics<br />
from Waste<br />
Streams<br />
Poland & Baltic<br />
States Special<br />
t.b.d.<br />
Industrial Composting,<br />
Challenges / Hurdles<br />
Shelf Life of Bioplastics<br />
Trade-Fair<br />
Specials<br />
Subject to changes<br />
58 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>04</strong>/18] Vol. 13
YOU WILL ALWAYS FIND<br />
A BIOPLAST SUITING<br />
YOUR NEEDS.<br />
BIOPLAST®, INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR EVERYDAY PRODUCTS.<br />
Made from potato starch, BIOPLAST® resins are designed to work on<br />
existing standard equipment for blown film, flat film, cast film, injection<br />
molded and thermoformed components.<br />
100 % biodegradable, BIOPLAST® is particularly suitable for ultra-light<br />
films with a thickness of approx. 10-15 μm.<br />
S002<br />
TRANSPARENT ODORLESS PLASTICIZER<br />
FREE<br />
S002<br />
OK COMPOST<br />
HOME<br />
FOOD-CONTACT<br />
GRADE<br />
GMO FREE<br />
www.biotec.de<br />
member of the SPHERE<br />
group of companies<br />
LJ Corporate – © JB Mariou – BIOTEC HRA 1183
WWW.MATERBI.COM<br />
EcoComunicazione.it<br />
r1_05.2017