Issue 03/2015

ISSN 1862-5258 

May / June 

Cover Story 

Lovechock 

03 | 2015 

bioplastics magazine Vol. 10 

Highlights 

Injection Moulding | 14 

Biocomposites | 34 

Thermoset | 30 

Basics 

Frequently Asked Questions | 44 

... is read in 92 countries

The Next Step: 

Biobased Packaging 

Choose a recyclable and sustainable container for a world focused 

more and more on packaging. The entire range of Lameplast Group 

containers are now available in biobased plastic: Green PE, 

polyethylene from plant origin, a renewable raw material from 

Brazilian sugar cane. A product that sets us free from oil use 

and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. 

For more information visit 

www.fkur.com • www.fkur-biobased.com

Editorial 

dear 

readers 

Dear Readers 

It was a try and it was a success. The first bio!PAC 

conference on biobased packaging in Amsterdam on 

May 12 and 13 was very well received by the almost 

100 attendees, speakers, exhibitors and sponsors. 

One presentation that most participants were excited 

about was the one from Laura de Nooijer from Lovechock. 

Although (or maybe even because) it was not 

the usual technical stuff. We liked it too, so we made it 

the cover story of this issue. 

ISSN 1862-5258 

May / June 

Cover Story 

Lovechock 

03 | 2015 

Other highlights are injection moulding, biocomposites 

and biobased thermoset. All of these topics 

are kind of paving the way to our next big conference 

event. Together with the nova-Institute we are 

organizing the first bio!CAR Conference on Biobased 

Materials in Automotive Engineering. This conference 

will be held within the framework of the trade 

fair COMPOSITES EUROPE at the end of September 

in Stuttgart, Germany. Please see page 8 for more 

details. 

bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 10 

Highlights 

Injection Moulding | 14 

Biocomposites | 34 

Thermoset | 30 

Basics 

Frequently Asked Questions | 44 

... is read in 92 countries 

In the Basics section we offer a little taster of the really 

comprehensive FAQs about bioplastics, developed by European 

Bioplastics. On pages 44 – 45 you find a few of those Frequently 

asked Questions. Go and visit EUBP’s website for the full version 

and download of the PDF-file. 

As usual this current issue is once again complemented by a 

number of industry and applications news items 

We hope you enjoy the forthcoming summer and, 

of course, reading bioplastics MAGAZINE 

Sincerely yours 

Follow us on twitter! 

www.twitter.com/bioplasticsmag 

Michael Thielen 

Like us on Facebook! 

www.facebook.com/bioplasticsmagazine 

bioplastics MAGAZINE [03/15] Vol. 10 3

Content 

Imprint 

03|2015 

May / June 

Events 

8 bio!CAR announcement & programme 

10 bio!PAC - Review 

26 Chinaplas – Review 

Applications 

29 World’s first algae-based surfboard 

Cover Story 

12 Lovechock 

Basics 

44 Frequently asked Questions (FAQ) 

Report 

42 Holland Bioplastics 

3 Editorial 

5 News 

28 Application News 

46 Glossary 

50 Suppliers Guide 

52 Event Calendar 

54 Companies in this issue 

Injection Moulding 

14 Bioplastics Injection Moulding 

16 From beach toy to 100 % biodegradable 

18 New PLA formulations to replace ABS 

20 Biodegradable materials for 

micro-irrigation 

22 PHA biopolymers promise te be a game 

changer in marine pollution 

24 New heat resistand blend for thin wall 

injection mouldings 

25 New light mountaineering shoes 

made with bio-PA 4.10 

Thermoset 

30 Fully biobased epoxy resin from lignin 

33 100 % biobasedepoxy compounds 

Biocomposites 

34 Basalt fibres in biocomposites 

36 Carbon footprint of flax, hemp, jute and kenaf 

40 PowerRibs technology 

Publisher / Editorial 

Dr. Michael Thielen (MT) 

Samuel Brangenberg (SB) 

contributing editor: Karen Laird (KL) 

Head Office 

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www.bioplasticsmagazine.com 

Media Adviser 

Caroline Motyka 

phone: +49(0)2161-6884467 

fax: +49(0)2161 6884468 

cm@bioplasticsmagazine.com 

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Media Sales Representative 

phone: +44 (0) 1270 522130 

mobile: +44 (0) 7983 967471 

Layout/Production 

Ulrich Gewehr (Dr. Gupta Verlag) 

Max Godenrath (Dr. Gupta Verlag) 

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Print 

Poligrāfijas grupa Mūkusala Ltd. 

1004 Riga, Latvia 

bioplastics MAGAZINE is printed on 

chlorine-free FSC certified paper. 

Total print run: 3,500 copies 

bioplastics magazine 

ISSN 1862-5258 

bM is published 6 times a year. 

This publication is sent to qualified 

subscribers (149 Euro for 6 issues). 

bioplastics MAGAZINE is read in 

91 countries. 

Every effort is made to verify all 

Information published, but Polymedia 

Publisher cannot accept responsibility 

for any errors or omissions or for any 

losses that may arise as a result. No 

items may be reproduced, copied or 

stored in any form, including electronic 

format, without the prior consent of 

the publisher. Opinions expressed in 

articies do not necessarily reflect those 

of Polymedia Publisher. 

All articies appearing in bioplastics 

MAGAZINE, or on the website www. 

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covered by copyright. 

bioplastics MAGAZINE welcomes contributions 

for publication. Submissions are 

accepted on the basis of full assignment 

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GmbH unless otherwise agreed in 

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The fact that product names may not be 

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bioplastics MAGAZINE tries to use British 

spelling. However, in articles based on 

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spelling may also be used. 

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and Neemann 

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Lovechock 

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News 

20 years 

certification of 

compostability 

In the early 1990s a piece of legislation was 

published with a fairly significant impact on 

households: citizens had to start sorting their 

waste. This legislation, the European Directive 

94/62/EC, covering the selective collection 

and recycling of waste, was the first European 

text to feature the concept of organic 

recycling, better known as composting. 

At that time the (now obvious) standard EN 

13432 was only in the initial outline, yet various 

municipal authorities began considering 

the use of compostable bags for collecting 

green waste. 

In the midst of all the numerous and sometimes 

rather fanciful claims of the bag manufacturers, 

the independent body Vinçotte 

developed the OK compost conformity mark 

(now widely known but regarded as an unseen 

anomaly at the time). 

The first two certificates were signed precisely 

20 years ago, on 5 May 1995. 

20 years later, Vinçotte is the world leader in 

the certification of bioplastics, with 380 certificate 

holders in all corners of the globe, 

1200 certificates in circulation and a constantly 

growing range of conformity marks: 

OK biodegradable SOIL (since 2000), OK compost 

HOME (2003), OK biodegradable WATER 

(2005), OK biobased (2009) and (last but not 

least ?) OK biodegradable MARINE (since 

2015). 

In addition Vinçotte is recognized as a certification 

body for the Seedling mark of European 

Bioplastics since April 2012. 

Vinçotte wishes a happy anniversary to all its 

licensees, ranging from the veterans of the 

1990s to today’s newcomers, all of whom are 

pioneers in their own way. MT 

www.vincotte.com 

Kuraray acquires Plantic 

and expands into 

bio-based barrier materials 

Kuraray (headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan) announced on 

April 8 the completion of the acquisition of all of the shares in Plantic 

Technologies Limited (Australia), which is engaged in the bio-based 

barrier film business. 

Kuraray was the first to commercialize the high-performance barrier 

resin, EVAL (ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer), which it launched in 

1972. EVAL boasts the highest level of gas barrier properties of all 

plastics and is the market leading barrier resin used in food packaging 

and industrial barrier applications. 

The acquisition of Plantic enables Kuraray to provide barrier 

materials which meets the increasing global demand of bio-based food 

packaging materials. This is in line with Kuraray’s corporate mission 

“we in the Kuraray Group are committed to opening new fields of 

business using pioneering technology and contributing to an improved 

natural environment and quality of life”. As a world leading producer 

of barrier materials, Kuraray will further develop its business through 

the addition of Plantic’s best in class bio-based barrier material. 

Plantic is a global leader in bio-based barrier materials. Plantic film 

is used in a broad range of products in the barrier packaging sector 

and is supplying major supermarkets and brand owners on three 

continents (Australia, North America and Europe) in applications such 

as fresh case ready beef, pork, lamb and veal, smoked and processed 

meats, chicken, and fresh seafood and pasta applications. Kuraray 

expects that its global sales network will assist to develop the biobased 

barrier business in Europe, USA and Asia, responding to the 

global demand of improved freshness, reduced food loss and waste 

with the use of environmentally friendly material, Plantic film. 

In the Australian market Plantic film is well known and is being 

used by a major supermarket. In the United States, the largest meat 

consumer country, Plantic has commenced supply to a number of 

brand owners and retailers and Kuraray will further develop Plantic’s 

business including the potential establishment of a production base 

or an alliance with third parties. In Japan where the demand for 

extension of shelf life for fresh meat and other fresh food is increasing, 

Kuraray can assist its customers to reduce food loss and waste with 

the environmentally friendly material, Plantic film. These market 

developments are expected to expand the bio-based barrier material 

business and we expect to achieve revenue of JPY 10 billion globally 

over the next 3 years. 

In addition there are significant synergies between Kuraray’s 

existing barrier business and Plantic’s bio-based barrier technology 

which will drive new applications. Further, Kuraray’s market leading 

technology and global sales network is expected to accelerate the 

development and expansion of a barrier material business including 

Plantic’s technology. 

http://www.kuraray.co.jp/ 

- www.plantic.com.au 


News 

daily upated news at 


Coca Cola to show 100 % biobased 

PlantBottle in Milan 

For its PlantBottle, Coca-Cola currently uses PET that is 30 % (by weight) renewably 

sourced in many of its core brands. This 30 % ingredient (mono-ethylene glycol – MEG) 

can be produced from natural plant sources, the 70 % purified therephtalic acid (PTA) 

is currently not bio-based. Coca-Cola uses MEG derived from Brazilian sugar cane 

to make its PlantBottle 1.0. The company is also exploring the possibilities of using 

second-generation feedstocks for the production of bio-MEG. “That is PlantBottle 

1.1,” as Klaus Stadler, responsible for the Environmental Sustainability agenda in 

Coca-Cola’s European Business Group, called it at the 8 th International Conference 

on Bio-based Materials in Cologne, Germany in mid April. 

In order to develop a bio-derived PTA, the Coca-Cola Company has also entered 

into long-term commitments with industry partners Gevo and Virent. “We have that. 

In fact, we will be showing a 100 % biobased PlantBottle—what we call PlantBottle 

2.0—at the upcoming Expo Milano 2015,” said Stadler. Coca-Cola is the official soft 

drink partner of Expo Milano 2015. However, according to Stadler, it will take another 

five to eight years for bio-PTA to become available in commercial quantities. MT 

www.thecoca-colacompany.com 

New Initiative to Support 3D Printing Market 

NatureWorks recently announced a broad new initiative to support the growth of the additive manufacturing market. The 

company’s move to support the 3D market comprehensively is based on a three pronged approach. It includes the introduction 

of an entirely new series of Ingeo grades designed specifically for PLA filament for the 3D printing market; a full suite 

of technical support services for the additive manufacturing industry’s leading 3D printer and filament producers; and the 

creation of an in-house print lab, enabling the company to rapidly test new Ingeo formulations and collaborate with printer and 

filament producers. 

For the past 18 months, NatureWorks has engaged directly with 3D filament suppliers, printer manufacturers, and print 

operators to obtain first hand feedback on the needs of the 3D printing market. “3D printing has the rapid pace of innovation, 

development, and change that is normal to a new and still nascent market,” said Dan Sawyer, Global Leader, New Business 

Segment, NatureWorks. “Many new suppliers are entering the PLA filament market, while a breadth of experienced suppliers 

large and small are formulating and compounding to provide additional filament properties and options. That’s the sort of 

innovation that NatureWorks is aggressively moving to support and amplify with our new broad-based initiative.” With the 

launch of its initiative, NatureWorks is immediately offering the first grade in its new Ingeo 3D series. Denoted Ingeo 3D850, 

this base 3D grade takes advantage of the latest Ingeo polymer chemistries to provide a good overall balance of processability 

in filament production, filament consistency, and print quality. It is also designed to provide optimum performance for those 

looking to enhance the properties of PLA through further formulation and compounding to extend part properties beyond what 

base PLA grades provide. 

“What we learned from our market engagement,” said Sawyer, “is that a large segment of the market prefers to print with 

PLA and would like to replace petroleum-based ABS if PLA can rival the other material’s heat resistance and the toughness 

of finished parts.” To enable this substitution, NatureWorks has been working on the next offering in its new Ingeo 3D series 

with extended-property-range Ingeo 3D resin formulations. PLA filament produced from new higher heat and toughness Ingeo 

formulations are now being tested in NatureWorks’ newly established in-house print lab, with market introduction targeted for 

later in the year. 

NatureWorks has developed a full suite of filament melt processing guides, technical data sheets, and other technical 

service resources for printer manufacturers and filament producers. Furthermore, NatureWorks personnel are developing 

close working relationships with key regional suppliers. For those interested in purchasing Ingeo based PLA filament, the 

company has produced the NatureWorks 3D Suppliers Guide, which is now available for download. 

The new NatureWorks 3D printing lab employs multiple printers for assessing the performance 

and quality of new Ingeo formulations, both in printer operation and in the final printed part. This 

lab shortens time to market for new Ingeo grades in the 3D series and aids collaboration with 

printer and filament producers. 

Downloadlink 

http://bit.ly/1PNzYwa 

www.natureworksllc.com. 

6 bioplastics MAGAZINE [03/15] Vol. 10

News 

Bio-On and Pizzoli collaborate to build potato 

waste-based PHA plant 

Bio-on S.p.A. (San Giorgio di Piano, Italy) and Pizzoli S.p.A. (Bologna, Italy) Italian potato processor will collaborate to build 

Italy‘s first PHAs bioplastic production plant using waste product from the potato agro-industrial process. 

The collaboration, signed by the two companies in March, arises from Bio-on‘s laboratory research and Pizzoli‘s experience 

in potato transformation, and aims to build a plant producing 2,000 tonnes/year of PHAs, expanding to 4,000 tonnes/year in the 

future. 

“It‘s a big step forward in the world of bioplastics,“ explains Marco Astorri, Chairman of Bio-on, “because it demonstrates 

how waste can be converted into raw material, teaming concepts such as biodegradability and eco-sustainability with technically 

advanced plastics. This collaboration represents an important factor in the affirmation of PHA in the latest-generation 

plastics market.“ 

“The path undertaken,“ says Nicola Pizzoli, Chairman of Pizzoli, “is part of an innovative industrial project aiming to improve 

and optimise potato processing technology, by transforming the by-products and waste into innovative products that will become 

new-generation plastics.“ 

Following an initial study phase to optimise the integration with existing structures and check economic compatibility, the 

project is set to be completed within approximately two years. The new plants will start production in 2017. 

“We will begin with a 220,000 Euro investment for the feasibility study,“explains Pizzoli, “but the real challenge will lie with 

future investments in an integrated industrial facility, serving the food sector and with zero environmental impact.“ 

“The collaboration between Bio-on and Pizzoli adds a new ingredient to the construction of the Italian green chemical industry,“ 

says Astorri, “and it also enables us to broaden the number of raw materials from which PHAs can be made using Bio-on 

technology. Our bioplastic can already be produced from sugar beet and sugar cane production waste.“ MT 

www.bio-on.it – www.pizzoli.it 

Wageningen UR presents 

Biobased Packaging Catalogue 

The very first edition of the new Biobased Packaging catalogue, compiled by Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research on 

request of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, has recently been translated into English and is now available for download. 

The catalogue offers a comprehensive overview of the various types of biobased packaging that are currently available on 

the market, including their current and potential applications. The idea behind the catalogue, which was put together in collaboration 

with a number of producers of biobased materials and packaging, was to boost the use of sustainable and biobased 

packaging by offering a clear review of the options and possibilities for commercial application. 

Interesting advantages of biobased plastics 

The most successful applications are those in which the specific properties and advantages of the biobased plastics are 

taken advantage of. Biobased plastic packaging often offers enhanced breathing properties, ensuring that fresh products such 

as lettuce or bread stay fresher, longer. A number of these plastics are naturally anti-static, which means that fewer additives 

are needed compared to conventional plastics. Compostable plastics are not required to be separately disposed of but can be 

disposed of together with the other organic household waste. 

The new catalogue is intended for buyers, users and producers of packaging materials, 

as well as for policy officers at public organizations. 

www.wageningenur.nl/ 

Downloadlink 

http://bit.ly/1dxTiMZ 


Events 

bioplastics MAGAZINE presents: 

bio!CAR, the new international conference on biobased materials in automotive 

engineering will debut at the Exhibition Centre Stuttgart on 24 and 25 September 

as part of COMPOSITES EUROPE 2015. The conference will be organised jointly 

by bioplastics MAGAZINE and the nova-Institut in cooperation with trade fair organiser 

Reed Exhibitions and is supported by the German Federation for Reinforced 

Plastics (AVK) as well as the German FNR (Agency for Renewable Resources). 

Conference on Biobased 

Materials for Automotive 

Applications 

24-25 sep. 2015 

The bio!CAR conference is aimed at reflecting the trend towards using biobased 

polymers and natural fibres in the automotive industry: more and more manufacturers and suppliers are betting on biobased 

alternatives derived from renewable raw materials such as wood, cotton, flax, jute or coir, all of which are being deployed as 

composites in the interior trims of high-quality doors and dashboards. According to the Hürth/Germany based nova-Institut, 

the European car industry most recently (2012) processed approximately 80,000 tonnes of wood and natural fibres into composites. 

The total volume of biobased composites in automotive engineering was 150,000 tonnes. 

Bioplastics are equally useful for premium applications in the automotive sector. Biobased polyamides from castor oil are used 

in high-performance components, PLA in door panels, soy-based foams in seat cushions and arm rests, and biobased epoxy 

resins in composites. In May, the nova-Institut published an updated market study on biobased polymers and their worldwide 

deployment (http://bio-based.eu/markets/#top). 

At bio!CAR, experts from all segments touching on biobased materials will present lectures on their latest developments. 

Among other materials, the portfolio will include conventional plastics filled or reinforced with sophisticated natural-fibre 

products as well as biobased, so called drop-in bioplastics, such as castor oil-based polyamides or polyolefins from sugar 

cane-based bioethanol. Novel bioplastics such as PLA or PTT will also be featured, as will thermoset resins from renewable 

resources and biobased alternatives for rubber and elastomers 

. 

www.bio-car.info 

Programme - bio!CAR: Conference on Biobased Materials in Automotive Engineering 

Christian Bonten IKT, Uni Stuttgart Keynote: Actual plastic innovations to meet current requirements and 

demands for the modern automotive industry. 

Ralf Kindervater BioPro Baden Württemberg The impact of biobased materials in the bioeconomy of tomorrow: 

mouse or elephant ? 

Michael Carus nova-Institut Biocomposites in the automotive industry, markets and environment 

Elmar Witten AVK Trends and developments in the composites market 

Maira Magnani Ford Motor Company Filling the (technology) gaps to promote the use of bio-based materials: 

Ford Motor Company’s example 

Mona Duhme Fraunhofer UMSICHT Review of ECOplast project: Research in new biomass-based 

composites from renewable resources with improved properties for 

vehicle parts moulding 

Hans-Jörg Gusovius Leibniz-Institute f. Agric. Eng. Novel whole-crop raw materials for automotive applications 

Francesca Brunori Röchling PLA compounds for automotive applications 

Hans-Josef Endres Inst. f. Bioplastics & Biocomp. Biobased hybrid structures for automotive applications 

Sangeetha Ramaswamy 

Institut für Textiltechnik Aachen Systematic integration of bio-materials in automotive Interiors 

Gareth Davies Composites Evolution Hybrid carbon-biocomposite automotive structures with reduced 

weight, cost, NVH and environmental impact 

François Vanfleteren Lineo A sandwich panel reinforced with flax fibers for the automotive industry 

Marc Mézailles PolyOne Lightweighting, performance and sustainability: 

A new material breaks the paradigm 

Nicolas Dufaure Arkema A long-term innovation to offer the widest range of biobased polyamides 

Andreas Weinmann and Anna Hoiss DSM Capturing the performance of green 

Lars Ziegler Tecnaro Bio-based Thermoplastic Compounds and Composites 

Christian Fischer Bcomp Save weight and cost with powerRibs in interior and exterior 

Luisa Medina and Florian Gortner 

Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe 

Univ. Kaiserslautern 

Development of a new test tool to measure emissions and odors from 

optimized NF composites 

Hans Hoydonckx TransFurans Chemicals Use of Polyfurfuryl Alcohol as renewable matrix in fibre reinforced products 

Thibaud Caulier Solvay Epicerol Biobased epichlorohydrin - A biobased building block to reduce the 

environmental footprint of the automotive industry 

Stefano Facco Novamont Renewable oils, esters and fillers for rubber compounding 

A concrete time table will follow soon. Visit www.bio-car.info for updates 


io CAR 

REGISTER NOW 

Early Bird Price 

EUR 799 

(save € 100 until June 30, 2015) 

biobased materials for 

automotive applications 

conference 

24.-25. September 2015 

Stuttgart 

» The amount of plastics in modern cars is constantly increasing. 

» Plastics and composites help achieving light-weighting targets. 

» Plastics offer enormous design opportunities. 

» Plastics are important for the touch-and-feel and the safety of cars. 

BUT: 

consumers, suppliers in the automotive industry and OEMs are more and more looking for biobased 

alternatives to petroleum based materials. 

That‘s why bioplastics MAGAZINE is organizing this new conference on biobased materials for 

the automotive industry. 

co-orgnized by 

in cooperation with 


supported by 

VK 

Media Partner

Events 

First bio!PAC event 

deemed great success 

By Karen Laird 

New biobased packaging conference fills a need, say key 

stakeholders at bio!PAC 

As the newest kid on the block as far as packaging and 

bioplastics events are concerned, bio!PAC, the new conference 

on biobased packaging held on 12 – 13 May at Novotel in 

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, had something to prove. Jointly 

organized by bioplastics MAGAZINE and Biobased Packaging 

Innovations, the conference aimed to provide both a showcase 

for bio-packaging technology and a forum for industry 

stakeholders to meet and learn about the opportunities and 

developments in this area. Attendees and speakers at the 

event unanimously agreed: bio!PAC more than lived up to its 

billing in both respects. 

“The importance of an event like this cannot be overstated,” 

said Francois de Bie, chairman of European Bioplastics and 

bioplastics Marketing Director at Corbion, who both attended 

and spoke at the conference. “Biobased packaging is a young 

field, and there is a lot of ignorance and confusion about what 

it really is, and what it can do. Events like this can help get 

the message out by providing clear information, opening up 

discussion and by demonstrating the capabilities of biobased 

packaging.” 

The some 24 speakers at the conference addressed topics 

ranging from new materials and new applications to the need 

for a biobased carbon standard, presenting breakthroughs and 

offering updates on the latest developments. Presentations 

were held not only by major players in the industry, such as 

BASF, Innovia Films, NatureWorks and TetraPak but also by 

a number of lesser-known companies, whose innovations are 

helping to provide momentum to the field. 

A good example was Arjan Klapwijk of Bio4Life, a Dutch 

manufacturer of biobased adhesives and labels, whose 

presentation about his company’s development of an EN 

certified solution for fruit labeling created an awareness 

for a problem most of the attendees had never considered. 

“Conventional PE adhesive fruit labels end up with the 

peelings in the compost bin, and are a huge problem at 

industrial composting facilities. Compostable labels coated 

with a biodegradable adhesive offer a simple, highly effective 

solution,” he concluded. 

One important discussion point throughout the conference 

concerned the ongoing shift in emphasis regarding biobased 

packaging materials: from a focus on the end of life to 

an increasing interest in the beginning of life. As a result, 

biodegradability is no longer the sole property associated 

with biobased materials. Now, renewably sourced, durable 

materials are gaining in importance, a development that 

has been fueled by the development of drop-ins such as 

bio-PET and bio-PE, engineered bioplastic compounds and 

barrier constructions enabling the design of sophisticated 

packaging. Erik Lindroth, of TetraPak, presented the example 

of the 100 % biobased beverage carton developed by TetraPak, 

which is currently being rolled out in Europe. “We have to ask 

ourselves: where does the material come from,” he said, 

adding that TetraPak was participating in a project called 

“Locally grown bioplastics” aimed at developing sustainable 

local feedstock sources for bioplastics. “Results are expected 

within 3 to 5 years,” he said. 

Technology challenges are not the only issues in the 

biobased packaging industry. “Between 70 and 80 % of the 

bioplastics market today is packaging”, said Francois de Bie 

in his presentation. “Why is that? I think because bioplastics 

have been embraced by both the big brands and by small 

innovative companies,” he said. “Using bioplastics supports 

the image of the brand.” 

But what about the premiums on biobased materials? 

Are customers prepared to pay more for environmentally 

responsible packaging? As numerous participants pointed 

out, the challenge for brand owners now is how to leverage 

the use of biobased packaging, not only to satisfy consumer 

demand for responsible packaging and to build customer 

relationships, but also to drive profits. 

Next to bringing new insights and ideas, the bio!PAC 

conference also showed that opportunities abound for 

biobased packaging now and in the future. To continue the 

discussion, participants, packaging experts and other industry 

stakeholders are cordially invited to join bioplastics MAGAZINE 

for the second edition of bio!PAC, which is now planned for the 

spring of 2017. The organizers are looking forward to seeing 

you there! 

www.bio-pac.info 

Panel discussion on “Land use for biobased materials” 


io PAC says 

THANK YOU... 

...to all of the attendees, sponsors, and speakers 

who participated in bio!pac 2015 

www.bio-pac.info 

Sponsors 

Media Partner 

supported by 

in cooperation with 

www.biobasedpackaging.nl

Cover-Story 

Lovechock 

Chocolate with love – wrapped in Natureflex 

With her presentation at bio!PAC in Amsterdam on 

the 12 th of May, Laura de Nooijer impressed many 

of the attendees. That’s why we share her story 

with our readers here. 

Lovechock is born out of Love. Love for excellent raw 

chocolate that opens the heart and uplifts the soul. As the 

Maya’s already knew, chocolate is something very sacred 

and Lovechock wants to bring people back to this essence. 

Lovechock as a brand was started by Laura de Nooijer in 

Amsterdam, The Netherlands in 2008. At that time she had 

her first mind-altering sacred medicine drink in a ritual 

and became very inspired by the wisdom of nature. She 

then decided that her study Psychology was quite boring 

compared to all the bright visuals released by those magic 

plants. She quitted her studies and started on a shamanic 

path in Brazil involving sacred medicine plants. She met 

David Wolfe, a USA raw food expert and was impressed 

by his healthy, shiny aura. From him she learned about 

the raw cacao bean. One can actually eat the raw cacao 

bean, because it is full of antioxidants and lovechemicals, 

goodies that make you feel happy and loving. The 

antioxidants in chocolate widen the blood vessels and 

improve overall cardio vascular function. Together with 

some friends Laura started the Chocolateclub, monthly 

dance parties all involving the intake of raw chocolate 

smoothies, consisting of raw cacao beans, bananas, 

coconut oil and other superfoods. Those parties were 

full of excitement, laughter and joy. Nevertheless Laura 

was missing the real bite of a crisp chocolate bar, so she 

started to order raw chocolate bars from the USA. Those 

bars were expensive, so she decided to make them herself. 

She saw her chocolate make so many people happy with 

Laura de Nooijer: “Our product has so many 

great angles to shed light on, but our main 

proposition is love. This is great as it is 

inherent to the product.” 

a big smile and seized the opportunity to write a business 

plan. In September 2009 the launch of the first Lovechock 

bars were a fact. Every day she was in the kitchen and the 

maximum of bars she could produce was 1000 a day. After 

1.5 years the small bakery kitchen capacity became too 

small and the whole enterprise moved to a social working 

place, where the bars were produced from that moment 

on. 

The growth of this business was a wobbly road, as 

chocolate making is a real art and cacao one of the 

most complex food commodities on the planet to work 

with. More and more people got involved and sales went 

up. Turnover doubled every year and Lovechock rapidly 

expanded into Germany, Austria and Switzerland. 

What is the success behind Lovechock ? 

Mainly it is the chocolate itself which is made of high 

quality Arriba Nacional cacao, high quality coconut 

blossom sugar and other superfoods. The bars of 

Lovechock are always full of whole pieces of fruit and nuts, 

which deliver the extra chew and make it unique. 

Being the first serious raw chocolate company in the 

Netherlands, Lovechock seized the opportunity to be the 

first mover in lots of places. 

The chocolate is wrapped in 100 % renewable 

and compostable Natureflex film 


Cover-Story 

Besides the great chocolate it’s the great packaging 

that gives the real kick to the product. Working closely 

together with Prouddesign an identity and packaging 

for a chocolate was created that works. And one that 

is distinctive from the luxury brands that are out there. 

The concept is “Raw from the outside and Wow from the 

inside”. So this means an honest, eco, natural look on the 

outside and a world of happiness and joy on the inside (full 

color print on the inside of the wrapper). This is also the 

actual experience of raw chocolate. It is less processed 

chocolate, therefore a little more rough, gritty and chewy 

to eat, but once you eat it, a rich palette of fine flavors 

unfolds plus the celebrative effect of the lovechemicals 

(tryptophan, dopamine, PEA). 

What is the story behind the design ? 

Lovechock started with the chocolate covered in 

aluminum foil packed in a carton wrapper, held together 

by plastic, rubber look-a-like, bands. — handwrapped. 

Eventually the detrimental effects of aluminum on the 

environment and even the migration of aluminum to the 

chocolate became clear. 

Also the aluminum was looking luxurious, but a bit 

kitschy as well. So Lovechock looked into bioplastics and 

came across Innovia Films and their home compostable 

foil Natureflex. It is made from sustainably planted 

eucalyptus wood. At first a bit hesitating they were afraid 

that the permeability would age the chocolate more 

quickly, but there was already another chocolate brand 

that used this foil successfully. At the same time the 

plastic bands were replaced by a little tab on the wrapper 

that makes the wrapper reclosable. 

The result proved to be a good choice; the chocolate 

looks very tasty in the transparent packaging and 

Lovechock posted the whole eco make-over on social 

media. 

Another good news was that Innovia is still working to 

reduce the carbon footprint of the foil, by optimizing their 

production efficiency. Laura is very happy not to use fossil 

sources, but sustainably planted eucalyptus trees. 

Besides the foil, Lovechock created the wrapper 

in a way to make sure all the carton is PEFC certified, 

printed with organic ink. Also the labels (From the only 

certified company in Holland Autajon) are completely 

biodegradable as even the pigments in the ink are nonfossil 

fuel based. 

In terms of sustainability overall Lovechock is on their 

way but there is always things to improve. Of course is 

happy about the fact that by not using harmful pesticides 

they also not further damage the earth. They started as 

an organic company as a start so that is nice as they add 

more high quality chocolate choice in the organic store. “It 

is great that we pursue sustainable packaging but in total 

we still leave a carbon footprint on the earth”, says Laura 

da Nooijer, “we looked at different angles of sustainability 

and decided to focus first on social responsibility the 

coming years and focus then more on our planetary 

responsibility.” 

And she adds: “Our product has so many great angles 

to shed light on, but our main proposition is love. This is 

great as it is inherent to the product.” MT 

Inside view of the paper wrapper 



From beach toy to 

100 % bio-degradable 

Cradle to Cradle Islands project 

By: 

Sebastian Thomsen 

Senior Business Development Manager 

BIO-FED, branch of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH 

Cologne, Germany 

As part of a European Union support programme, 

22 partners from 6 different countries took part in 

the Cradle to Cradle Islands project, with the aim of 

making a contribution to sustainable development of the 

biosphere on the islands of the North Sea region. 

During this project, the islands became laboratories 

and testing grounds for sustainable innovations. 

In cooperation with the Dutch engineering firm Pezy 

(Eindhoven/Groningen) and the EPEA (Environmental 

Protection Encouragement Agency), 25 actual product 

concepts for innovative tourism products were developed 

based on the Cradle-to-Cradle philosophy. These product 

concepts were designed to help maintain the beauty and 

cleanliness of the North Sea islands. 

By promoting economic activity in the region in a 

sustainable, healthy and creative manner, they are also 

having a positive impact on inhabitants and visitors to the 

islands. 

Beach toy 

One of the 25 concepts was based on the fact that every 

year, many children’s toys are lost or left behind and end 

up in the sea, where they contribute to the pollution of 

the shoreline and the oceans. To solve this problem, the 

Superscoop was developed. The Superscoop, a multifunctional 

beach toy used for shovelling and carrying sand 

or water, makes playing at the beach even more fun for 

small children. The appropriate, child-friendly frog-shaped 

design and ergonomic details were developed for children 

aged three to six years old. 

Biological or technical metabolism 

The Cradle-to-Cradle principles were taken into account 

during all phases of development. Special care had to 

be taken particularly when selecting the materials to be 

used, since products which satisfy the requirements of the 

philosophy must be fully recyclable and/or biodegradable in 

soil, ideally in sea water, or in an industrial composting facility. 

Should the Superscoop happen to land in the ocean, it will bio-degrade. 



To determine which end-of-life scenario is best suited for this product, the 

life cycle of existing shovels and buckets was first examined. Rather than 

being disposed of properly at the end of their life cycle, it seems that many of 

these toys unintentionally went missing instead. It is therefore to be expected 

that the Superscoop will also frequently find its way into the maritime ecosystem. 

For this reason, industrial composting was ruled out, and the focus 

turned to an eco-friendly material with the potential to bio-degrade in sea 

water. 

Development process 

During development, the child-friendly frog design was first realised as an 

injection-mouldable concept. Bright colors or imprints are typically used for 

this type of toy to enhance a child’s playing pleasure and improve its easeof-identification. 

From the Cradle-to-Cradle perspective, however, this would 

require the use of 100 % innocuous pigments and materials. Both for humans 

and the ocean. Taking into consideration all of the desired properties in terms 

of texture and shape, this presented the biggest problem. 

Material 

During the entire development process, the Dutch engineering firm Pezy 

Product Innovation worked together with the Portuguese injection-moulder 

Moldes RP (Marinha Grande). 

Rui Pinho, Managing Director of Moldes RP, was thrilled with this project 

from the very start and decided to invest in the mould. Tests were conducted 

with this mould using various materials which were designed to be biodegradable 

and manufactured from renewable resources, and which met 

mandatory safety standards for use in children’s toys. The component had 

to have a certain stability when handled by children and an appropriately 

long durability, whilst also decomposing relatively quickly if it ended up in the 

ocean. 

The choice ultimately fell upon a biopolyester blend, mvera ® GP1001 from 

BIO-FED (a branch of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH). This variant of the blend is 

in fact produced from fossil resources. The matrix polymer, however, is biodegradable 

wherever bacteria exist (e. g. in soil, and potentially in the ocean) 

and does not require high temperatures for decomposition as are present 

only in industrial composting facilities. Moreover, all monomers today could 

already be produced as bio-based materials in principle. And the pigments 

used in this product are entirely free of ecologically harmful substances. The 

masterbatch from Akro-Plastic GmbH branch AF-COLOR used to color the 

Superscoop contains only components which comply with the current DIN 

EN 13432 standard. 

These components have successfully passed both the Cress test and the 

Barley Plant test and have received the corresponding Vinçotte certification. 

Partnership 

Biopolymers, irrespective of which variant, either (partially) bio-based and/ 

or bio-degradable, cannot typically serve as simple substitution products. 

Owing to the complexity of this matter, purchasing departments alone 

cannot adequately provide the selection of materials for what are frequently 

designated sustainable or green products. Experience has shown that 

product developments using biopolymers are most successful when project 

teams from across the supply chain (from the customer to the raw-material 

supplier) and involving various departments (Purchasing, Engineering, and 

Sales, in particular) work together to come up with solutions. This was the 

approach pursued by the Dutch service provider Pezy Product Innovation, 

an expert in the design of innovative product solutions. Thanks to this 

work performed in multidisciplinary teams and the successful cooperation 

with EPEA (sustainability consulting), Moldes RP (mould construction and 

injection moulding) and BIO-FED (bioplastic producer), this product is now 

ready for volume production. 

www.bio-fed.com 

www.pezy.nl 

The Superscoop is also stackable. 

The Cradle-to-Cradle ® concept refers 

to a type of cyclical resource utilization in 

which production processes are aimed 

at the preservation of added value. Like 

the nutrient cycle in nature, in which 

waste from one organism is used by 

another, material flows in production 

are planned such that waste and the 

inefficient use of energy are avoided. 

The Cradle-to-Cradle concept was 

developed in 2002 by Michael Braungart 

and William McDonough. The concept is 

based on a term introduced in the 1970s 

by the Swiss corporate and political 

consultant Walter R. Stahel. 

Just as in nature, Cradle to Cradle 

has no limitations, nothing is wasted 

and nothing is relinquished. Through 

the use of biological and technical 

nutrient cycles, the right materials are 

used in the right place, at the right time. 

And the final result is always improved 

quality. 

The Cradle-to-Cradle production 

method directly opposes the Cradle-to- 

Grave model, in which material flows 

are frequently established without 

consideration of resource conservation. 

Rather than minimising linear material 

flows in today’s products and production 

methods, the Cradle-to-Cradle design 

concept transforms these into cyclical 

nutrient cycles, meaning that once 

values are added, they are preserved 

for people and the environment. The 

Cradle-to-Cradle design concept is 

based on three basic principles: 

• Waste as nutrients 

• Use of renewable energy 

• Promotion of diversity 



New PLA formulations 

to replace ABS 

NatureWorks (Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA) announced 

in late April the availability of new ABS 

replacement formulations that clearly demonstrate 

PLA based Ingeo resins have evolved into a practical and 

safe alternative for a broad range of styrenics in terms of 

performance, price, and eco profile. 

Three new formulated Ingeo injection molding offerings 

built on NatureWorks’ heat-stable technology platform 

offer a range of impact and modulus performance features 

in tandem with excellent chemical resistance. Two 

formulations offer medium and high impact performance 

with high bio content, making them ideal for injection 

molding applications – particularly those currently utilizing 

ABS. Additionally, a high modulus Ingeo formulation for 

profile extrusion applications maintains excellent impact 

performance and, just as with the injection molding 

offerings, this formulation’s high stiffness (up to 50 % 

higher flex modulus vs. ABS) offers opportunities for 

downgauging and materials savings. 

“Our new Ingeo formulations take factors like thermal 

performance as a given and move beyond that to offer a 

comprehensive suite of properties, which in some cases 

exceed ABS,” said Frank Diodato, who leads NatureWorks 

Durables Business platform. “Compared to ABS, these 

Ingeo formulations also offer significantly improved 

resistance to many common household chemicals – 

including spray and wipe cleaning agents, oils, and 

common personal care products such as nail polish 

remover, sunscreen and hand sanitizer. 

Diodato explained that unlike legacy polymer blend 

approaches that often alloyed or compounded PLA with a 

petroleum-based polymer to achieve requisite properties, 

although at a reduced biobased content, these new 

Ingeo formulations derive their functionality from the 

crystallization enabled by combining NatureWorks’ newly 

commercialized polymer chemistries. The resulting Ingeo 

formulation has a renewably sourced carbon content of 

approximately 90 %. 

The new Ingeo grades possess significantly faster 

crystallization kinetics than conventional PLA resins 

currently in the market place. The rapid crystallization 

rate leads to high heat distortion temperatures of up to 

92 °C (HDT B @ 0.46 MPa). The fast crystallization also 

allows for the molding of crystalline parts at significantly 

faster cycle times than legacy products in the market. 

Excellent chemical resistance vs. ABS 

ESCR performance 

Solvent/chemical 

Ingeo medium impact formulation 

(884-41-1) 

Ingeo high impact 

formulation (884-41-2) 

1 hour 24 hours 96 hours 1 hour 24 hours 96 hours 1 hour 24 hours 96 hours 

ABS 

None 

Distilled vinegar 

(5 % acidity) 

Isopropanol 

Ajax spray & 

wipe cleaner 

Dawn liquid 

dish soap 

Bertolli extra 

virgin olive oil 

Unsalted butter 

Based on ASTM D543-06 standard practices for evaluating the 

resistance of plastics to chemical reagents. Tested under 1 % strain 

Excellent 

Very good 

Good 

Fair 

Poor 

Not tested 



Chemical resistance 

“An important step in development of the new 

formulations,” said Diodato, “was to begin to understand 

how Ingeo components used for consumer products would 

perform when exposed to common household chemicals.” 

The company began a focused series of Environmental 

Stress Crack Resistance (ESCR) tests comparing Ingeo 

PLA to ABS. Rather than picking from a standard laundry 

list of industrial solvents – irrelevant for the non-industrial 

markets targeted by these grades – NatureWorks used a 

range of common household chemicals, those typically of 

interest to brands in its targeted markets. The tests were 

based on ASTM D543-06 standard practices for evaluating 

the resistance of plastics to chemical reagents. Test parts 

were put under 1 % strain. 

Ingeo medium and high impact formulations and ABS 

were evaluated at intervals of one hour, 24 hours, and 96 

hours. Solvents and chemicals used in the tests included: 

• Distilled vinegar (five percent acidity) 

• Isopropanol 

• AJAX spray and wipe cleaner 

• Dawn liquid soap 

• Bertolli extra virgin olive oil 

• Unsalted butter 

Both Ingeo and ABS had excellent resistance to distilled 

vinegar. For Ajax spray, Ingeo was rated excellent at alltime 

intervals, while ABS was rated as poor after 96 hours. 

For olive oil and butter, Ingeo achieved an excellent rating 

at all-time intervals while ABS was rated poor at both 24 

and 96 hours. For isopropanol, Ingeo was rated good to 

very good. For dish soap, Ingeo was rated very good to 

excellent. ABS was not yet tested for either isopropanol 

or dish soap. 

In a further series of independent tests performed by 

Nypro, a Jabil Company, the chemical resistance of Ingeo 

and ABS was assessed using a method designed to test 

how plastics used in consumer electronics stand up to 

commonly carried items such as hand cream, sunblock, 

insect repellent, acetone (nail polish), and isopropyl 

alcohol (hand sanitizer). Ingeo passed each test. ABS 

failed to pass two tests – insect repellent and nail polish. 

After the consumer products chemical resistance 

tests, NatureWorks calculated that if 500,000 mobile 

phones were molded from Ingeo instead of from ABS the 

non-renewable energy saved would be equivalent to 750 

gallons (2,893 l) of gasoline. The reduction in greenhouse 

gas emissions would be significant: a savings equivalent 

to a car driven for 22,000 miles with no emissions. MT 

www.natureworksllc.com 

Simulating the chemical resistance of plastics used in consumer 

electronics (Testing performed by Nypro, a Jabil Company) 

Chemical Ingeo ABS 

Hand cream Pass Pass 

Sunblock Pass Pass 

Insect repellant Pass Fail 

Acetone (nail polish) Pass Fail 

Isopropyl alcohol (hand sanitizer) Pass Pass 

PLA 

Injection 

Moulding 

grades 

ABS 

Ingeo injection moulding formulation 

Medium impact 

(884-41-1) 

High impact (884- 

41-2) 

Ingeo profile 

extrusion 

formulation 

High modulus (821- 

56-2) 

Bio content (%) 100 0 89 88 76 

Specific gravity (g/m 3 ) 1.24 1.04 1.22 1.21 1.24 

Specular gloss 60° 125 89 72 73 77 

Specular gloss 20° 112 68 48 47 56 

Tensile modulus (Mpa) 3,400 2,316 2,850 2,850 3,125 

Tensile yield strength (Mpa) 64 39 37 38 33 

Tensile elongation at break (%) 3.6 5.5 32 21 38 

Notched Izod impact (J/m) 21 277 139 443 352 

Flexural strength (Mpa) 113 68 66 65 59 

Flexural modulus (Mpa) 3,640 2,381 3,140 3,100 3,550 

Heat distortion (HDT B @ 0,46 MPa) 55 87 92 77 85 



Bioplastics injection moulding 

Closing the knowledge gap in bioplastics 

injection moulding operations 

Bioplastics – sustainability top, processing capabilities 

flop. Numerous companies, upon deciding to substitute 

bioplastics for petrobased plastics, have had to face up 

to this or similar conclusions. 

This is deplorable, especially since bioplastics are usually 

in no way inferior to their petrochemical counterparts and in 

addition may bring to bear new and interesting properties. Yet, 

unresolved processing problems as well as higher prices paid 

for the raw materials until now have prevented widespread 

industrial use of bioplastics. The price is truly an impediment, 

mainly due to the hitherto significantly smaller production 

volumes. Processing problems, however, can be resolved by 

adapting the processing technology. Such problems often 

arise because of insufficient material data sheets and/or 

the absence of technical services to support the process 

adjustments necessary for producing high-quality parts from 

bioplastics. 

This is the background for a project undertaken by a 

research alliance as part of a larger programme funded by 

the German Federal Ministry of Nutrition and Agriculture 

(BMEL) and supported by the Agency for Renewable 

Resources (FNR), entitled “Processing of Biobased Plastics 

and Establishment of a Competence Network within the FNR 

Biopolymer Network”. This collaborative project takes on 

all processing technologies currently employed for plastic 

materials (injection moulding, extrusion, fibre production, 

thermoforming, extrusion blow moulding, welding, …) and 

examines a wide range of marketable bioplastics with respect 

to their process-specific data, most of which have not been 

made available yet by the material suppliers. In addition, 

small and medium-sized companies are offered technical 

support for the processing of bioplastics. 

Injection moulding performance of bioplastics 

The Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites (IfBB) 

within this project has taken on the task to examine injection 

moulding performance of bioplastics. Materials selected 

for the investigations included two PLA’s (polylactic acids), 

a PLLA (Poly-L-Lactide), a biobased PA (polyamide), and a 

PBS (polybutylene succinate). To determine the optimum 

processing parameters for bioplastics, extensive pre-tests 

were run first to identify process-relevant material properties 

such as melt viscosity, thermostability, thermal conductivity, 

melting point, glass transition temperature, and density. 

Plasticising performance 

Plasticising the material stands at the beginning of each 

moulded parts production cycle. An important factor in this 

process is to minimize the time needed to feed and melt the 

materials in order to reduce the cycle time and hence the 

cost of the moulded parts. In trial runs, the cavity of a test 

specimen (Campus type A1 (DIN EN ISO 20753) was used to 

produce the moulded parts. 

Generally, a plasticising performance here of about 

200 cm³/min is a good value, which indicates a stable injection 

moulding process. The graph in figure 1 shows several 

bioplastics with different melt temperatures to represent the 

typical scope in industrial processing. The tests performed 

on these bioplastics reveal that, within the appropriate 

temperature range, all chosen bioplastics show an adequate 

plasticising performance. Typically, for semi-crystalline 

materials, an increased melt temperature leads to reduced 

viscosity. Consequently, there is higher leakage flow and a 

significantly lower plasticising performance, as is evident with 

PLA 3251D and PA Vestamid Terra HS 16. 

Figure 1: Plasticizing performance of various bioplastics 

Figure 2: Melt temperature-related injection pressure 

Plasticizing performance (cm 3 /min) 

260 

240 

220 

200 

180 

160 

140 

120 

Ingeo 3251D 

Ingeo 6202D 

Hisun PLLA 

ShowaDenko Bionolle 1020MD 

Evonik Vestamid Terra HS16 

Injection pressure (bar) 

500 

450 

400 

350 

300 

250 

200 

150 

100 

50 

Ingeo 3251D 

Ingeo 6202D 

Hisun PLLA 

ShowaDenko Bionolle 1020MD 

Evonik Vestamid Terra HS16 

100 

190 

210 230 250 270 290 310 

Melt temperature (°C) 

0 

190 

210 230 250 270 290 310 




3.5 

3.0 

* Static friction (begining of demolding) 

** Sliding friction (during the sliding of the mold core) 

*** Optical shrinkage measurement: Plate with 500 bar hold pressure, measuring 

the longitudinal shrinkage after 16 hours (Plate 150x105x3.0mm) 

**** Coefficient of static friction higher than 1 are generally regarded as critical 

and often leads to damage to the component 

PA 6.10 Evonik Vestamid 

Terra HS16 

2.0 

1.8 

1.6 

Friction coefficient (-) 

2.5 

2.0 

1.5 

**** 1.0 

PLA Ingeo 3251D 

Static friction coefficient * 

Sliding friction coefficient ** 

Longitudinal shrinkage *** 

PLA Ingeo 6202D 

Hilsun PLLA 

PBS Showa Denko 

Bionolle 1020MD 

1.84 

2.28 

1.648 

1.4 

1.2 

1.0 

0.8 

0.6 

Longitudinal shrinkage (%) 

0.5 

0.76 

0.62 

0.268 

0.69 

0.54 0.282 

0.66 

0.53 0.305 

1.32 

0.768 

1.22 

0.4 

0.2 

0 

220 °C 

220 °C 

Shrinkage 

220 °C 

220 °C 

Shrinkage 

220 °C 

220 °C 

Shrinkage 

220 °C 

220 °C 

Shrinkage 

250 °C 

250 °C 

Shrinkage 

0 


Figure 3: Demoulding forces and material shrinkage 

Injection behaviour 

The viscosity of the materials in a real processing 

environment can be characterized by means of the mouldspecific 

injection pressure. This was determined by derivation 

from maximum changes in the cavity pressure curve during 

the injection phase. As indicated in the graph in figure 2, 

Hisun PLLA shows especially high viscosity, comparable to 

that of Polycarbonate (PC). The measured viscosity of PLA 

Ingeo 6202D is lower in comparison, but still on a high level. 

Processing these materials is easily possible however by 

raising the melt temperature above 200 °C. Significantly lower 

is the injection pressure with the low viscosity types PLA 3251D, 

Bio-PA Vestamid Terra HS16 and PBS Bionolle 1020MD. As 

expected, all these materials show a reduction of viscosity as 

melt temperatures are raised. It is widely assumed that some 

bioplastics have a low thermo-mechanical stability range. 

However, all biobased materials used in these tests were 

showing a normal injection behavior across all processing 

temperature ranges. Hence they obviously possess the same 

process reliability as petrobased materials. 

Demoulding and Shrinkage 

After the injected part cools off in the mould, it must be 

ejected from the cavity by means of an ejector system. This 

requires special ejection forces which consist of the normal 

force (material acting on the mould surface, as caused 

by material shrinkage when cooling off) multiplied by the 

coefficient of static and sliding friction (the forces needed to 

keep the material from sticking to the mould, and the forces 

needed to maintain steady sliding of the material on the 

mould surface). A friction coefficient higher than “1” means 

high forces are needed, which may cause problems in the 

process and even create damages such as deformations or 

distortions to the moulded parts. As shown in figure 3, the 

PLA types Ingeo 3251D and 6202D as well as Hisun PLLA 

have increased values, but not on a critical level. PBS Bionolle 

1020MD and Bio-PA Vestamid Terra HS16 however show 

much higher ejection forces, which means that an additional 

release agent is recommended with this material. There is 

also significant variation in shrinkage. While the PLA types 

shrink by about 0,3 % only, there is much more shrinkage for 

PBS (about 0,7 %) and Bio-PA (1,6 %). These values have to 

be judged as neutral, since petrobased plastics have similar 

values. They could cause a problem, however, if the same 

mould is used for the biobased material as for the substituted 

petrobased one. Given that moulds are designed for specific 

material shrinkage rates, shrinkage is an important factor as 

well to determine beforehand whether bioplastics can replace 

petrobased materials. 

Conclusions 

Basically, most bioplastics are process-stable. Processing 

capabilities of bioplastics have improved significantly in the 

past few years. Once all relevant technical data are available, 

nothing really can get in the way of substituting bioplastics 

for petrobased thermoplastics. Still, processing bioplastics 

on existing machinery often turns out difficult due to a lack 

of technical data. 

Acknowledgement 

The authors express their gratitude to the Federal Ministry 

of Nutrition and Agriculture (BMEL) for funding this project. 

By: 

Marco Neudecker 

Hans-Josef Endres 

Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites (IfBB) 

University of Applied Sciences and Arts, 

Hanover Germany 

http://ifbb.wp.hs-hannover.de/verarbeitungsprojekt/ 



Biodegradable materials 

for micro-irrigation systems 

FAO results published in the “World agriculture: towards 

2015/2030” study, show the global increase 

of crops irrigated area. The study suggests that the 

irrigated area in the 1997 – 1999 period was 202 million 

hectares. This figure will rise up to 242 million hectares 

by 2030. 

Dripping irrigation systems (micro-irrigation systems) 

are required due to irrigation growing needs. These 

systems allow a more sustainable management of the 

water needed for crops maintenance. 

Current micro-irrigation pipes, manufactured with 

polyethylene, are taken to a recycling plant or incinerated 

in situ after use, depending on each country’s legislation. 

The amount of plastic waste generated in agriculture 

by the EU-27 countries, Norway and Sweden in 2008 

was 1.243 million tonnes (Mt). 53.6 % of the total was 

thrown away. On the other hand, the remaining 46.4 % 

was recovered: 262.000 tonnes (21 %) were mechanically 

recycled and 315.000 tonnes (25.3 %) were energetically 

recycled. The amount of waste generated by irrigation 

pipes and accessories was 200.000 tonnes [1]. 

One alternative to agricultural plastic waste management 

is to use biodegradable plastics. Biodegradable plastics 

are for example in use already for mulch films, plant 

pots and many more applications. However, until now 

no materials suitable for manufacturing of compostable 

micro-irrigation systems have been available. 

DRIUS project: compostable micro-irrigation 

system 

The European project DRIUS Industrial implementation 

of a biodegradable and compostable flat micro-irrigation 

system for agriculture applications aims to produce new 

biodegradable and compostable drip irrigation systems 

and place them on the market. 

The developed irrigation systems will be especially used 

for plant cultivations, such as strawberries and tomatoes, 

which have shorter growing periods. 

The advantages of this new system will be: 

• An alternative to current incinerating and recycling 

processes. It has to be taken into account that 

uncontrolled incinerating in the EU is not permitted 

(The Incineration Directive (Directive 2000/76/EC) (EN. 

2000)) and that the resulting recycling is a low quality 

product due to high contamination and degradation 

of pipes, which are in contact with soil, pesticides and 

fertilizers. 

• Economic saving: elimination of separation, removal 

and recycling costs, which entails an expenditure of 

approximately 1,050 €/hectare. 

Figure 1: Industrial line of micro-irrigation pipe extrusion. 

Figure 2: Biodegradable pipes coming out of the calibration and 

quenching baths. 

Figure 3: Flat and tubular drippers developed in DRIUS. 



• Energy saving during the elaboration process as 

the pipes made with these materials requires lower 

processing temperatures. 

• At the end of their lifetime, pipes would be managed as 

all organic wastes and they will biodegrade in less than 

6 months. 

• A new compostable product will be obtained with an 

additional value at the micro-irrigation systems endof-life. 

Its development will allow its management in a 

composting plant without any need to separate. 

Project’s results 

During the project’s first year, the extrusion process was 

optimized in order to elaborate biodegradable pipes in 

conventional extrusion lines (see Figures 1 and 2). These 

pipes can be processed at a temperature 40º C lower 

than polyethylene, resulting in energy saving and a lower 

environmental impact. 

In order to develop these pipes, several commercial 

biodegradable materials were mixed through physical 

compatibilisation and chemical functionalisation. At 

the same time, the synergy effect of these mixtures 

was studied. The developed pipe consists mainly of 

PLA (polylactic acid), modified with other biopolymers 

and additives to achieve the properties required. The 

percentage of used material from renewable sources is 

higher than 70 %. 

During this same period, new moulds were designed to 

inject the developed biodegradable materials for drippers. 

Figure 3 shows that results were satisfactory and that the 

new developments present suitable physical features for 

its injection moulding processing, creating drippers with 

the required geometry. Drippers’ geometry is crucial 

for the micro-irrigation system so that they provide the 

necessary amount of water for different crops. 

The companies involved in this project are currently 

working on improving not only the demoulding process but 

also the insertion of drippers in the pipes. 

The DRIUS Project began on 1 st November, 2013 and 

will run for 24 months. It is funded by the European 

Commission within the “CIP-Eco-Innovation” Programme 

(contract number ECO/12/332883). The consortium is 

formed by Spain’s Technological Institute of Plastics 

(AIMPLAS); Extruline Systems SL of Goñar, Spain; 

Metzerplas Irrigation Systems of Kibbutz Metzer, Irael; 

and OWS NV of Gent, Belgium. 

Coauthors of this article are Oded Baras, Antonio 

Bayonas, Steven Verstichel, Chelo Escrig, Raquel Giner. 

More information / sources 

[1] Plastic Waste in the Environment, BioIntelligence Service, 

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/studies/pdf/plastics.pdf 

By: 

Maria Pilar Villanueva 

Extrusion Department 

AIMPLAS (Technological Institute of Plastics) 

Paterna, Spain 

Celebrating 

20 YEARS 

VINÇOTTE, PIONEER & 

WORLD LEADER IN 

BIOPLASTICS 

CERTIFICATION 

www.okcompost.be 

Since 1995 

YOUR REPUTATION IS MINE. 



PHA - a game changer 

for marine plastic pollution? 

MHG’s emergence onto the world stage as the premier 

manufacturer of PHA biopolymers (polyhydroxyalkanoates) 

came full circle this spring when Belgium’s Vinçotte 

International awarded its first ever OK Marine 

Biodegradable certification to the company. 

The award is especially judicious in light of the fact that 

plastic pollution in oceans, lakes and rivers has moved to 

the forefront as one of the most damaging and challenging 

environmental problems of our age. 

The validation is also significant in respect to the 

ongoing domino effect of legislative bans on plastic bags, 

microbeads, and polystyrene food service items in cities 

and states across the U.S. and internationally. 

Just over a year ago, MHG (Bainbridge, Georgia, USA) 

was basking in the afterglow of its unique position as the 

only biopolymer company to be awarded all six Vinçotte OK 

biodegradable and compost certifications available at that 

time, as well as U.S. FDA food contact approval. 

MHG’s merger of Meredian, Inc. and Danimer Scientific 

into a consolidated entity (Meredian Holdings Group) 

formalized the company’s plan to position itself as a global 

provider of bioplastic resins. 

Since then, the company has received commercial scale 

production validation from food ingredient provider Tate & 

Lyle (headquartered in London, UK). 

In addition to ongoing work with LC Industries (Durham, 

North Carolina) to produce renewable cutlery for U.S. 

service personnel, MHG has secured a contract to make 

biodegradable packaging for one of the world’s largest 

food and beverage companies, and has others in the 

works. 

“Historically the packaging and container world is 

crowded with many different shaped objects made from 

petroleum-based resins,” says Paul Pereira executive 

chairman and CEO of MHG. 

“More recently the introduction of bioplastic polymers 

made from Canola oils or any fatty acid vegetable oil has 

started to take center stage due to the renewable content 

and in some cases the degradability. This transformation 

will be a game changer for the world of packaging and 

waste disposal.” 

By all accounts, MHG is fully on track to expand 

production of its Canola based PHA to a broader 

commercial scale. 

During the fall 2014 planting season, the company’s 

second Canola crop was widened to 1,600 hectares (4,000 

acres). In early 2015, MHG partnered up with Perry-McCall 

(Jacksonville, Florida, USA) to build out its AgroCRUSH 

facility to include a 6,000 tonnes (260,000-bushel) grain 

storage facility. 

Harvest time commenced in May 2015. The crop is 

expected to yield six million pounds of PHA resin. To further 

accommodate new demand, MHG has acquired over 

19,000 m 2 (200,000 square feet) of lab and manufacturing 

space at its Bainbridge facility. 

As MHG continues on the journey to expand its mission 

to the world marketplace, Pereira travels from Asia to 

Europe and throughout the U.S. to introduce PHA to 

manufacturers. 

Due to its heat deflection temperature, UV resistance, 

excellent mechanical properties, and expedient 

biodegradability, MHG’s Nodax family of PHA serves as 

possibly the most viable alternative to both petrochemical 

plastics and less effective bioplastics. 

The Achilles heel of many competitive biopolymers, 

including those produced from cellulose, sugars and 

MHG’s 2015 Canola harvest commenced in May 2015 in Decatur County, Georgia, USA. 



starches, is a lack of heat and moisture tolerance. The 

polymers can soften when even slightly warmed, become 

brittle and fail when dried or left in sunlight, or become 

sticky in high humidity environments. 

Limp bottle caps, wilting coffee spoons, or toys 

that crumble into powder just won’t do, no matter 

how environmentally friendly the products seem. Any 

biopolymer resin used to make such articles must meet 

the appropriate temperature and viscosity requirements 

for mass production, remain durable and reasonably 

heat resistant while in storage or use, and decompose 

safely and organically in a short period of time. 

As a thermoplastic polyester, PHA has a heat deflection 

range of 125 to 170 o C (about 260 to 340 o F). The high melt 

temperature offers an attractive and effective solution to 

the problem, considering that the average temperature 

in a sealed, parked car is 50 °C, a hot cup of coffee can 

reach 75 °C, and water boils at 100 °C (212 °F). 

PHA also offers superior biodegradability over many 

other commercialized bioplastics because it decomposes 

aerobically in soil and water, and anaerobically in fresh 

water, salt water, soil and compost. 

The fact that it is produced by microbial organisms 

that feed on the Canola oil is the simple reason PHA 

degrades so well. The material is synthesized within 

the organisms as a means of fat storage. As a result, 

many other microbial organisms see PHA as a kind of 

Twinkie for bacteria. 

MHG PHA Compostable Spoons, before and after: 

MHG PHA biodegrades within three months to a year. 

By: 

Laura Mauney 

The Kidd Group 

Nodax per se is also highly adaptable to various 

processes and product requirements. Nodax 

encompasses a family of PHA polymers where each 

variation possesses a slightly different mix of monomer 

units, and can thus be customized for different 

mechanical properties. 

Explains MHG’s Chief Science Officer and Nodax 

inventor Dr. Isao Noda, “Various PHA polyesters are 

controlled by the proportion of the different building 

blocks (monomers) used to make the large polymeric 

molecules. For injection molded articles, the variation 

of the components gives us the very nice extra design 

flexibility to manipulate the softness of end products. 

Sometimes we want hard and tough products, while in 

other applications we need much more soft and flexible 

items.” 

In many ways, PHA functions as a better product than 

petrochemical plastics. It more effectively preserves food 

freshness, blocks transfer of many odors and gasses, 

and is toxin-free. 

PHA can be used successfully to make biodegradable 

versions of the single use plastic items notorious for 

polluting oceans and lakes, including plastic bags, 

microbeads, six pack holders, bottle caps, and all 

manner of other disposable goods. 

Though cleaning up the world’s water bodies will 

require strategies that go well beyond replacing plastic, 

the introduction of PHA to our throwaway culture has the 

potential to significantly deter future damage. 

www.mhgbio.com 



www.pu-magazine.com 

03/2015 JUNE/JULY 

02/2015 März 

We are there 

for you: 100 %! 

With specialized custom GLS TPE formulations we can meet 

your tough material challenges. 

Enhanced aesthetics 

Superior durability 

Overmolding grades 

Visit www.polyone.com/whatif to make it possible. 

Volume 7, March 2015 

New heat resistant blend for 

thin wall injection mouldings 

While the demand for biodegradable packaging continues 

to rise, injection molders are still facing challenges to process 

these type of polymers, especially when it comes to very thin 

wall packaging. 

BASF’s biobased and certified compostable polymer 

ecovio ® is proven in many applications. BASF now offers a 

new generation of heat resistant certified compostable blend. 

It is particularly suitable for injection molding and enables 

applications such as coffee capsules or single use cups, 

where thin wall geometries are required. 

Due to the special formulation, it enables the very thin wall 

production with a thickness of up to only 0.3mm while still 

being rigid and strong with a good toughness as well as an 

outstanding dimensional stability. The cycle times that can be 

reached with this type of polymer are comparable to those of 

easy flowing PP types in injection molding. 

With this new ecovio ® blend, packaging manufacturers also 

do not need to cut back on their design demands. For example, 

it can be colored with any biodegradable masterbatch 

available. It is as well suitable for in-mold labelling, a state of 

the art surface decoration process in which a film for surface 

decoration is combined with the molded part in the open 

mold. Tests have shown that the new generation of ecovio ® 

blends is processible similar to conventional polymers which 

means at the same cycle time. MT 

www.ecovio.com 

SEEING POLYMERS 

WITH DIFFERENT EYES... 

POLYURETHANES MAGAZINE INTERNATIONAL 

Foam expansion agents 

Third stream direct injection of blowing agents 

Non-halogenated FR in PIR boardstock 

Discontinuous panel production 

Rigid foam with NOPs 

FORUM FÜR DIE POLYURETHANINDUSTRIE 

PU MAGAZIN 

Die weltweite PU-Industrie 2014/2015 

Utech Europe 2015 Vorschau 

Ze lstruktur von PU-Weichschäumen 

Halogenfreie Flammschutzmittel 

Faserverbundwerkstoffe mit PU 

Flammwidrige Kautschukmischungen 

nach EN 45545 

Kieselsäureverstärkte NR-Mischungen 

CNTs und Ruß als synergistische 

Fachmagazin für die Polymerindustrie 

Füllstoffkombination 

Magazine for the Polymer Industry 

NR filled with CNTs and carbon black 

Improved AEM polymers 

Cure time reduction 

ETU replacement accelerator 

Fatigue life prediction 

THE ART OF 

PRODUCTION EFFICIENCY 

June 29- July 02, 2015 

Ha l 12, B oth # 202 

Nuremberg, Germany 

www.arburg.com 

global automotive markets 

a new tpe class 

tpe foams based on recycled rubber 

olefin block copolymers 

membranes 

Thermoplastic 

Elastomers 

You can — when you work with PolyOne. 

magazine 

international 

What if 

you could 

design 

without 

limits? 

www.pu-magazin.de 

Sealing Solutions 

www.sonderhoff.com 

68. Jahrgang, Mai 2015 

05| 2015 

Volume 10, May 2015 



Contact us to learn more about subscriptions, 

advertising opportunities, editorial specials … 

info@gupta-verlag.de 

Our technical magazines and books create your expertise 

24 bioplastics MAGAZINE [03/15] Vol. 10 

P. O. Box 10 13 30 · 40833 Ratingen/Germany · www.gupta-verlag.com 

Tel. +49 2102 9345-0 · Fax +49 2102 9345-20


New light mountaineering 

shoes made with bio-PA 4.10 

Royal DSM (Heerlen, The Netherlands) recently announced that its 

high performance biobased EcoPaXX ® polyamide 4.10 has been chosen 

for the Edging Chassis of an innovative new mountaineering shoe from 

sports specialist Salomon. 

Light mountaineering shoes fit with one of the latest trends in 

outdoor sports: they provide users with very comfortable lightweight 

equipment that lets them be quick, agile and safe. The Salomon X Alp 

range is at the forefront of this trend, with its innovative Edging Chassis 

(patented by Salomon), a special plate built into the sole with a 

sophisticated design that combines two opposites: flexibility 

and stiffness. 

X Alp GTX 

The Edging Chassis provides stability for the foot in 

the transverse direction – to provide good grip on narrow 

ledges – but also allows enough flexibility in longitudinal 

direction to accommodate the natural flexing of the foot. 

This requires a material with the right combination of 

appropriate mechanical properties and toughness, and which 

can also be processed easily. 

DSM’s biobased polyamide 4.10 EcoPaXX has enabled Salomon 

to produce a chassis with an intricate design that is light, has the 

necessary mix of flexibility and rigidity, retains its properties at very 

low temperatures typical of mountain environments, and has reduced 

moisture uptake, despite being a polyamide. 

X Alp MTN GTX 

The material is very suitable for injection molding and is certified as 

carbon neutral from cradle to gate. It is being used in the chassis of 

three models of Salomon’s new X Alp range of mountaineering shoes: 

the X Alp GTX, X Alp MTN GTX, and X Alp PRO GTX. 

For the Edging Chassis, a material with excellent flow characteristics 

is needed as the design requires the use of a mold with multiple 

gating, which creates multiple weld lines, which means weld line 

strength needs to be high. DSM bio‐PA 4.10 has these excellent flow 

characteristics, together with outstanding mechanical properties and 

also processes very well. Altogether, EcoPaXX provides a very costeffective 

solution that makes it stand out from the competition and a 

perfect fit for the Edging Chassis. 

Aude Derrier, project manager in Materials Footwear Department 

of Global Footwear at Amer Sports says: “X Alp shoe expresses 

the cutting edge of light mountaineering. It is the result of 

over two years of intensive development and field tests 

with professional guides, rescue teams and athletes, and 

is a pure expression of Salomon’s approach to product 

innovation and its mountain heritage. Models with the 

patented EcoPaXX Edging Chassis can be used from 

lower flanks of the mountain as well as for approach.” 

“Salomon, the mother company Amer Sports Group, and 

DSM have a long partnership history, and have worked together 

on other challenging EcoPaXX projects like high-end snow board 

bindings. We were confident that DSM could help us to create our new 

generation of mountaineering shoes, and our confidence has been 

justified.” MT 

www.ecopaxx.com 


Show Review 

封面故事 

CHINAPLAS 2015 Review 

CHINAPLAS 2015, held from 20-23 May 2015 in Guangzhou, has again set new records with unprecedented scale, with 

a gross exhibition area exceeding 240,000 m² and over 3,200 exhibitors from 40 countries and regions. After our show 

preview in the last issue, our reporters did not report about significant breakthrough developemnts in the field of 

bioplastics at this year’s Chinaplas. Thus we just present a few news from the Bioplastics Zone, that comprised again a total of 

28 companies plus another 23 companies showcasing bioplastics products or services in other halls. 

Guangzhou Bio-plus 

Guangzhou Bio-plus Materials Technology Ltd 

(Guangzhou, China) is a high-tech company focusing on 

modification of bio-based and biodegradable materials. 

Their talented R&D team cooperates with Scientific 

Academia of China. Guangzhou Bio-plus successfully 

improved PLA in heat-resistance, impact strength and the 

ability to expand, which significantly widens the field of 

applications for PLA. 

The most challenging topic in PLA modification is to 

improve its foam ability. Recently Bioplus succeeded in 

developing a modified PLA for extruded foam sheet with 

butane or CO 2 

, and the material is being used commercially 

now. Its expansion rate can be controlled from factor 3 

to 20, and the structure of the foam can be open-cell or 

closed-cell. 

PLA foam sheet can be used in packaging material, 

disposable food boxes, trays, Hamburger boxes, coffee 

cups, etc. It is the best option to substitute polystyrene 

foam and paper products in above fields. 

It has been a challenging task, to foam PLA in the 

extrusion process over the past years. A lot of institutes 

and companies studied this topic for many years, without 

significantly overcoming the lab-scale. Bio-plus however, 

has now succeeded PLA foam sheet with butane or CO 2 

in industrial production line continuously and stably. This 

is a milestone that PLA foam material can be promoted 

in scale. In one word, Bio-plus’s success in PLA foam is 

revolutionary, and it will push the bio-plastics industry go 

forward quickly. 

http://www.bio-plus.cn/en/ 

CJ Cheiljedang 

CJ Cheiljedang (CJ) from Seoul, South Korea, one of the 

largest producers of amino acids, has developed renewable 

chemicals for Nylons, Polyurethanes, and Resins. 

CJ introduced biobased diamines – Butanediamine (BDA) 

and pentanediamine (PDA) - which can be used for Nylon 

and Polyurethane. BDA is a raw material for Polyamide 

4X engineering plastics. PDA is for Polyamide 5X, high 

functional fiber, and PDI (pentamethylene diisocyanate), a 

raw material of urethane coating. 

CJ also made a great advancement in D-Lactic acid. PLA 

is a biodegradable polymer from renewable resources with 

about 200,000 tonnes market volume. PLAs made with D-LA 

(e.g. stereocomplex-PLA) have better heat resistance and 

mechanical properties than conventional PLA. Thus, they 

are more broadly applicable. 

Lignolic phenol is studied as bio-friendly chemical, but 

technological barrier limits its applicability. 

Innovative technology enables CJ to produce cost-efficient 

lignolic phenol, the preceding material of phenolic resins 

used in various industrial products. 

http://www.cj.co.kr/cj-en 

bioplastics MAGAZINE 

bioplastics MAGAZINE for the first time introduced a special 

Chinese language version of the magazine (16 pages “Best 

of 2014”). It was printed in 1000 copies and distributed at 

Chinaplas in addition to the 1000 copies of the regular, 

international issue. 

山西金晖集团 

2015 年 5 月 

A pdf-version of the complete 

Chinese issue can be read online at 

www.issuu.com/bioplastics 

or bit.ly/1AxH9BF 

www.bioplasticsMAGAZINE.COM 

生物塑料杂志 

中文专刊 


Application News 

Rubber seals 

made 

of Bio-EPDM 

Specialty chemicals company LANXESS 

(Cologne, Germany) provides its innovative 

bio-based Keltan Eco EPDM rubber to 

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies. This 

well-known global manufacturer of seals 

and vibration control technology products 

recently started to produce rubber seals 

made of Keltan Eco EPDM at its North 

American affiliate. 

Keltan Eco EPDM (ethylene-propylenediene 

monomer) rubber contains up to 70 

% of ethylene obtained from sugarcane, and 

has an impressive set of properties that is in 

no way inferior to that of conventional EPDM. 

The bio-renewable rubber compound, 

for which development at Freudenberg 

Sealing Technologies already began in 

2012, addresses the constantly increasing 

standards on CO2 footprint reduction, 

especially in the automotive industry, and 

the overall global pull for more sustainable 

industrial solutions. 

Joe Walker, Global Director Advanced 

Materials Development at Freudenberg 

Sealing Technologies, explains: “We had 

been working with polymer suppliers for 

ways to reduce our carbon footprint, but 

the polymer offerings lacked the specific 

characteristics we needed for our advanced 

manufacturing processes. So we initiated a 

project to research the area, and we were 

able to develop a material that can be used 

in our next generation injection molding 

process.” 

Applications for the rubber compound 

based on Keltan Eco polymers include seals 

for coolants, steam, synthetic hydraulic 

fluids, brake fluids and aerospace hydraulic 

fluids. The newly developed material is 

capable of withstanding temperatures up 

to 150 °C, and the material has outstanding 

compressive stress force retention. MT 

www.lanxess.com 

www.fst.com 

The World’s first plant-based 

durable bottles 

ZAZA Bottles are the first refillable water bottles made from a plant-based 

polymer. They’re also the only customizable ones as they promote a fusion of 

fashion & sustainability. The Prague-based startup launched their Kickstarter 

campaign in late May. 

Zuzana Cabejskova, the founder of ZAZA has long been involved in the 

topic of sustainable hydration. She started an NGO called Czech The Tap in 

2010 to promote tap water among Czech restaurants and citizes. The NGO’s 

blind-tasting experiments were a huge success: “Over 2 thousand people 

participated and 80% couldn’t tell the difference between tap and bottled 

water.” 

As an Industrial Ecologist, Zuzana Cabejskova also insisted that the bottle 

be as sustainable as possible. “We’re introducing the first plant-based bottle 

to really show we’re 

serious about circular 

economy. The transparent 

part is made of a 50% bioC 

PA and we’re still looking 

for a supplier for the 

non-transparent parts, 

preferably that would 

be a close-to 100% biosolution.” 

www.zazabottles.com 

Disposable gloves 

B.GLOVE, disposable gloves made from a biodegradable film are a high 

quality product, as stated in a press release by glove machine manufacturer 

CIBRA from Cernusco sul Naviglio, Italy. 

The softness of such gloves, their breathability, the pureness of their 

composition make these gloves suitable for food handling, for use in 

pharmaceutical and chemical industries, for wellness treatments, and in 

many other applications. 

Biodegradable gloves can become organic waste and will be totally 

degraded in compost in a short time. The machine manufacturer states 

that it can be expected that the same rule could soon be applied to gloves, 

e.g. in the fruit/vegetable area of supermarkets, in the veterinary, medical 

and food handling fields, and in wellness centres, where plastic gloves are 

still used. The MaterBi gloves offer a perfect alternative to conventional 

plastic gloves because they can be collected 

together with other organic waste and 

converted into compost. 

B.GLOVE is a result of many years of 

development: from the first semiautomatic 

machine for disposable gloves that Cibra 

presented at PLAST 1968, from the first 

experiences on Mater-Bi films at PLAST 2003, 

from the last two year experience in producing 

full time biodegradable Mater-Bi gloves for 

innovative customers. MT 

www.cibra.it 

www.novamont.com 


Applications 

World’s first 

algae-based 

surfboard 

Photo courtesy Eric Jepsen 

University of California San Diego’s efforts to produce 

innovative and sustainable solutions to the world’s 

environmental problems have resulted in a partnership 

with the region’s surfing industry to create the world’s first 

algae-based, sustainable surfboard. The surfboard was 

publicly unveiled and presented in early may, the day before 

Earth Day, to San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer at San Diego 

Symphony Hall. 

The project began several months ago at UC San Diego 

when undergraduate students were working on a precursor 

of the polyurethane foam core of a surfboard from algae oil. 

Polyurethane surfboards today are made exclusively from 

petroleum. 

Students from the laboratories of Michael Burkart, a 

professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and Robert “Skip” 

Pomeroy, a chemistry instructor who helps students recycle 

waste oil into a biodiesel that powers some UC San Diego 

buses, first determined how to chemically change the oil 

obtained from laboratory algae into different kinds of polyols. 

Mixed with a catalyst and silicates in the right proportions, 

these polyols expand into a foam-like substance that hardens 

into the polyurethane that forms a surfboard’s core 1 . 

The effort to produce the surfboard was headed by 

Stephen Mayfield, a professor of biology and algae geneticist 

at UC San Diego. To obtain additional high-quality algae oil, 

Mayfield, who directs UC San Diego’s California Center for 

Algae Biotechnology, or “Cal-CAB,” called on Solazyme, Inc. 

The California-based biotech, which produces renewable, 

sustainable oils and ingredients, supplied a gallon of algae 

oil to make the world’s first algae-based surfboard blank. 

After some clever chemistry at UC San Diego, Arctic Foam 

successfully produced and shaped the surfboard core and 

glassed it with a coat of fiberglass and renewable resin. 

Although the board’s core is made from algae, it is pure 

white and indistinguishable from most plain petroleumbased 

surfboards. That’s because the oil from algae, like 

soybean or safflower oils, is clear. 

Photo courtesy Arctic Foam 

“In the future, we could make the algae surfboards ‘green’ 

by adding a little color from the green algae to showcase 

their sustainability,” said Mayfield. “But right now we wanted 

to make it as close as we could to the real thing.” 

Mayfield said that, like other surfers, he has long been 

faced with a contradiction: His connection to the pristine 

ocean environment requires a surfboard made from 

petroleum. 

“As surfers more than any other sport, you are totally 

connected and immersed in the ocean environment,” he 

explained. “And yet your connection to that environment is 

through a piece of plastic made from fossil fuels.” 

But now, he explained, surfers can have a way to surf a 

board that, at least at its core, comes from a sustainable, 

renewable source. “In the future, we’re thinking about 100 % 

of the surfboard being made that way – the fiberglass will 

come from renewable resources, the resin on the outside 

will come from a renewable resource,” Mayfield said. 

“This shows that we can still enjoy the ocean, but do so in 

an environmentally sustainable way,” he added. KL, MT 

http://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu 

Info: 

1) From algae oil to polyurethane 

Robert “Skip” Pomeroy explains it this way: 

The algae oil is a chemical mixture of Triacylglycerides 

(TAGs). This consists of a glycerol backbone and three 

fatty acid chains. The fatty acid chains in algae based 

TAGs have points of unsaturation (double bonds). These 

double bonds can be reacted to create OH or alcohol 

functionality where the double bond used to be. Because 

there are multiple double bonds within the TAG, you can 

create multiple OH groups, hence the term polyol (many 

alcohols, many OHs). 

When a polyol is reacted with a diisocyanate you 

create multiple urethane bonds, hence polyurethane. 

The precise formula of the polyurethane foam is a trade 

secret of Artic foam that creates the foam with the right 

density, flexibility and cell size to meet there expectations 

as a substitute for the petroleum polyol. We control the 

chemistry through the reagent balance, temperature of 

the reaction and the time. 


Thermoset 

Fully biobased epoxy resin 

 

from lignin 

Thermosets 

Thermosets are polymeric materials generated by 

irreversible crosslinking of multifunctional monomers or 

oligomers thus forming a three dimensional network out 

of the initial resin system. Obviously, thermoset properties 

depend both on the monomer structure and on the 

architecture of the network. For the latter, the network 

density is a decisive parameter: the shorter the links, 

the more resistant the thermoset against mechanical, 

thermal, and chemical impacts. Thus the spectrum of 

crosslinked polymers reaches from flexible elastomers to 

firm resin systems for high performance composites. 

Lignin structure 

When looking for alternatives to petroleum-based resin 

components, lignin is a particularly interesting candidate. 

It is synthesized biochemically from three aromatic 

monomeric units, i. e. Cumaryl, Coniferyl, and Sinapyl 

alcohol (Fig. 1). 

With its highly cross-linked structure in combination 

with its specific functional groups (Fig. 1 B), lignin is 

suited as a building block in phenol formaldehyde (PF), 

polyurethane (PU), and epoxy (EP) resin systems. While for 

PU and EP systems the OH functionalities play the major 

role. PF resins take advantage of the free ring positions as 

reactive centres. 

Lignin is synthesized in all vascular plants and 

represents, after cellulose, the second most frequently 

occurring polymer on earth. There are three main types: 

hardwood (e. g. eucalyptus, birch, beech), softwood (e. g. 

pine, spruce), and annual plant lignin. 

Lignin sources 

Technically lignin is a by-product of the pulp and 

paper industry and is used almost exclusively as a fuel, 

in particular for running the pulping processes. Two 

processes dominate by far the chemical pulping to 

obtain cellulose: the Kraft (or sulfate) process with 90 % 

market share [2] and the sulfite process. Both generate 

sulphur containing lignins but with different chemical 

bonding patterns to the lignin skeleton. While the socalled 

lignosulfonates from the sulfite process have been 

available on the market for decades, this is not the case 

for lignins from the Kraft process. Only recently big pulping 

companies like Domtar, Stora Enso or Suzano began to 

isolate lignin from their black liquors. An important input 

to this development was the market introduction of the 

Ligno-Boost technology by Metso, which is applicable to 

both hard and soft wood and works with supercritical CO 2 

for lignin precipitation. 

Sulphur may cause olfactory problems in final 

applications of lignin as a material. Therefore sulphurfree 

pulping processes such as Alcell ® [3], Organocell [4], 

or Soda [5] could gain some importance in this respect. 

Also enzymatic bio-ethanol production from annual plants 

generates sulphur-free lignins with quite a high molecular 

weight. This is a disadvantage for resin formulations since 

it impairs the solubility of the lignin in general. 

Figure 1 Structure of lignin monomers (A) and a lignin fragment (B) according to Freudenberg [1] 

By: 

Gunnar Engelmann 

Johannes Ganster 

Fraunhofer-Institute for 

Applied Polymer Research IAP 

Potsdam-Golm, Germany 

CH 2 

OH 

HO 

H 2 

C C 

HO 

HO 

O 

CH 

OCH 

OH 

2 

3 

OH 

CH 

HO 

H 2 

OCH 

HOH 3 

2 

C C C 

O CH O 

H 

OH 

HC 

OH 

OCH 3 

H 3 

CO 

OCH 3 

OH 

OH 

Cumaryl- 

OCH 3 

H 3 

CO OCH 3 

HOH 2 

C 

O 

Coniferyl- OH 

HC 

HC OH 

A 

Sinapyl- 

O 

O 

H 3 

CO 

OH H 3 

C 

O 

OH 

HOH 2 

C 

H O 

HOH 2 

C 

O 

C C HO 

OH 

O H 

HC 

OCH 

CH 3 

OH 

2 

OH 

OCH 3 

HC HO H 

CH 

HC O 

HO 

C 

O 

O 

CH CH 

OCH 3 

H 3 

C 

OH 

H 3 

CO 

O 

B 

O 

H 3 

CO 

OCH 3 

HO 


Thermoset 

Lignin utilization 

Apart from the use of the caloric value of lignin for 

energy generation mostly by directly burning the spent 

liquor, lignin is used in comparatively small quantities 

for thermoplastic processing with lignocelluloses 

reinforcing fibres [6] and more recently as a blend 

component in derivatised form in biobased packaging 

films in combination with biodegradable petro-based 

polyesters [7]. On the other hand lignosulfonates from the 

sulphite process have a broad spectrum of applications, 

e. g. as additives for briquettes, animal feed, or concrete 

[8]. The possibility of using lignosulfonates for PF resin 

formulations, substituting the increasingly expensive 

phenol has been known for a long time, but is not exploited 

commercially on a larger scale. However, detailed 

investigations were performed for products like plywood, 

oriented strand boards, and medium density fibre boards. 

For PU and EP resin formulations lignosulfonates are 

less suited owing to the different chemical structure 

compared to sulphur-free lignins or lignins from the 

Kraft process. With regard to synthetic EP resins made 

of bisphenol-A, (Kosbar et al.) in cooperation with IBM 

demonstrated the possibility to use 50 % lignin in a resin 

formulation for the manufacture of printed circuit boards 

[9]. However, the demonstrator never went into production. 

For resin producers the use of Kraft lignins isolated 

from the black liquor would be the economically most 

viable way. However, these lignins have a relatively high 

molecular weight (not to mention organosolv or enzymatic 

lignins) and thus impede the lignin solubility in the reactive 

resin formulations. To avoid an additional technological 

step to degrade the lignin separately, a modification of 

the cooking process such that a more severe degradation 

takes place in situ, might be an option. 

Biobased epoxy resins 

The advantages of using low molecular weight lignins 

can be demonstrated for a fraction of a softwood Kraft 

lignin in a completely biobased, bisphenol-A-free epoxy 

resin formulation [10]. To achieve this goal, besides 

the low molecular weight lignin fraction, glycerol-1,3- 

diglycidyl ether (1) and, as a co-cross-linker, pyrogallol (2) 

are used (Fig. 2). 

Here the glycidyl ether can be traced back to glycerol 

which is (also) a by-product of bio-diesel production. 

Pyrogallol can be prepared by thermal decarboxylation 

of gallic acid, a biobased building block of hydrolysable 

tannins [11]. Optimum compositions lead to thermosets 

with a tensile strength of 82 MPa, a stiffness of 3.2 GPa, 

and a glass transition temperature of 70 °C. These resins 

are suited for manufacturing fibre reinforced composites. 

Using 50 % of (bio-based) cellulose regenerated fibres in 

unidirectional composites; a bending strength of 210 MPa, 

a modulus of 12.5 GPa, and a heat distortion temperature 

of 160 °C were achieved. 

Further improvements can be obtained by abandoning 

the claim of being completely biobased and using carboxylic 

acid anhydrides as hardener but still being bisphenol-Afree. 

Approximately 65 % of biobased formulations give 

values of 85 MPa strength, 3.5 GPa modulus and a glass 

transition temperature of 80 °C, still somewhat below 

petroleum-based bisphenol-A containing formulations 

(Fig. 3). 

O 

O 

OH 

1 

HO 

2 

Figure 2: Main components (besides lignin) for a completely 

biobased epoxy resin 

Figure 3: Comparison between plant oil [12], lignin-, and 

bisphenol‐A-based [13] resins in terms of selected mechanical 

and thermal properties 

Values 

120 

100 

80 

60 

40 

20 

0 

Tensile strength (MPa) E-Modulus*10 (GPa) 

Figure 4: Prototype of light element Prachteck by 

Alfred Pracht Lichttechnik using lignin-based resin 

O 

O 

Waste vegetable oil 

Lignin 

Bisphenol-A-based 

OH 

T g 

(°C) 

OH 


Thermoset 

However, alternative biobased solutions with epoxidized plant oils suffer from low strength, stiffness, and glass transition 

temperature as shown in Figure 3 and cannot compete with the lignin-containing formulations. Further on, the above partially 

biobased lignin system was used for prepreg formulations and bulk moulding compounds. Prepregs with 50 % jute fabric could 

be stored at -8 °C for 17 weeks giving 110 MPa strength and 7 GPa stiffness after curing. Bulk moulding compounds with 60 % 

sawdust were compression moulded to give 60 MPa strength and 5.3 GPa modulus. 

Application example 

The above mentioned jute fabric composites were used to manufacture an LED light element prototype called Prachteck in 

cooperation with the Institute for Plastics and Recycling (University of Kassel, Germany), and Alfred Pracht Lichttechnik (Dautphetal, 

Germany) [10]. This kind of light element was presented at the K show 2013 in Düsseldorf, Germany, as an application example. 

Conclusion 

A clear trend is recognized to utilize lignin as an abundant renewable resource rather than just burning it. Big pulping 

companies start to think in this direction and the process is flanked by industrial developments to isolate lignin from spent 

liquor on the one hand, and by investigating possible applications on the other. Lignin structure and reactivity makes it a 

promising candidate for biobased resin formulations as shown for an epoxy resin system. 

References 

[1] Freudenberg, K. und A.C. Neish (1968): „Constitution and Biosynthesis of Lignin.” Springer Verlag. Heidelberg-Berlin-New York 

[2] Toland J, Galasso L, Lees D, Rodden G, in Pulp Paper International, Vol. Paperloop, 2002, p. 5 

[3] Y. NI, Q. HU (1995) Alcell ® Lignin Solubility in Ethanol-Water Mixtures. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 57, p. 1441 – 144 

[4] Lindner, A., Wegener, G. (1988) Characterization of lignins from organosolv pulping according to the organocell process. 1. Elemental analysis, nonlignin 

portions and functional-groups. Journal of Wood Chemistry and Technology, 8(3), p. 323 – 340. 

[5] Lora, Jairo; Glasser, Wolfgang (2002) Recent Industrial Applications of Lignin: A Sustainable Alternative to Nonrenewable Materials. J. of Pol. Env.10, p. 39 – 48. 

[6] www.tecnaro.de 

[7] www.cyclewood.com 

[8] K. H. Kleinemeier in O. Faix und D. Meier (Hrsg) 1st European Workshop on Lignocellulosics and Pulp, 1990, Verlag M. Wiedebusch, Hamburg 1991 

[9] Kosbar, L. L., Gelorme, J. (1997) Biobased epoxy resins for computer components and printed wiring boards. Proceedings of the 1997 IEEE International 

Symposium on Electronics and the Environment, ISEE-1997. pp. 28 – 32. 

[10] Project sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture via the Specialist agency renewable raw materials e. V. (FNR), FKZ: 22025808 

[11] Fiege, H., Voges, H.-W., Hamamoto, T., Umemura, S., Iwata, T., Miki, H., Fujita, Y., Buysch, H.-J., Garbe, D., Paulus, W. (2000) Phenol derivatives. In: Ullmann’s 

Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. pp. 521 – 582. 

[12] Dracosa AG, personal communication 

[13] Composite Solutions AG; (Data sheets SR 1700, SR 5550, SR 8500) 

www.co2-chemistry.eu 

Carbon Dioxide as Feedstock 

for Chemistry and Polymers 

29 – 30 September 2015, Essen (Germany) 

4 th 

Conference Team 

Michael Carus 

CEO 

michael.carus@nova-institut.de 

Barbara Dommermuth 

Programme, Poster session 

+49 (0)2233 4814-56 

barbara.dommermuth@nova-institut.de 

Dominik Vogt 

Conference Manager, Organisation, 

Exhibition, Sponsoring 

+49 (0)2233 4814-49 

dominik.vogt@nova-institut.de 

Jutta Millich 

Partners & Media Partners 

+49 (0)561 503580-44 

jutta.millich@nova-Institut.de 

For the 4 th year in a row, the nova-Institute will organize the conference „Carbon Dioxide 

as Feedstock for Chemistry and Polymers“ on 29 - 30 September 2015 in the “Haus der 

Technik” in Essen, Germany. CO 2 

as chemical feedstock is a big challenge and chance for 

sustainable chemistry. Over the last few years, the rise of this topic has developed from several 

research projects and industrial applications to become more and 

more dynamic, especially in the fields of solar fuels (power-to-fuel, 

power-to-gas) – but also in CO 2 

-based chemicals and polymers. 

Several players are very active and will showcase some enhanced 

and also new applications using carbon dioxide as feedstock. 

The conference will be the biggest event on Carbon Capture and 

Utilization (CCU) in 2015. 

Attending this conference will be invaluable for businessmen and 

academics who wish to get a full picture of how this new and 

exciting scenario is unfolding, as well as providing an opportunity 

to meet the right business or academic partners for future alliances. 

Free booth – only a 2-days 

conference entrance ticket 

is needed! 

Early Bird Reduction of 

15% until the end of April 

2015. Discount code: 

earlybird2015 

More information can be found at www.co2-chemistry.eu 

Venue 

Haus der Technik e.V. 

Hollestr. 1 

45127 Essen, Germany 

Tel: +49 (0) 201/18 03-1 

www.hdt-essen.de 

Organiser 

nova-Institute 

Chemiepark Knapsack 

Industriestraße 300 

50354 Hürth, Germany 


Thermoset 

100 % bio-based 

epoxy compounds 

Nagase ChemteX is a Japanese chemical manufacturer 

and is supplying high-performance, high 

added-value chemical products to meet their customers’ 

needs in a number of sectors, from electronics 

and life sciences to automobiles and the sustainability 

business. 

The product DENACOL has become a benchmark in the 

world of aliphatic epoxies and has unique characteristics 

of water solubility, made from epoxy compounds. 

Biobased Denacol GSR series are made from natural 

renewable resources – such as isosorbide, etc. – and show 

high reactivity with active hydrogen from carboxyl groups, 

amino groups and hydroxyl groups. Therefore, they work 

in textiles, paper finishing, coatings, adhesives, molding 

compounds and specialty polymers as a good crosslinking 

agent. 

Table 1 gives an overview about the product line-up 

All these products show an excellent performance, 

derived from their unique chemical structure of natural 

resources. For instance, Denacol GSR-101W is a special 

epoxy compound based on an isosorbide structure and 

epoxy resins hardened with this product exhibit various 

interesting features, such as good toughness, high 

reactivity, low viscosity and excellent light stability. 

Figure 1 shows the stress-strain behaviour for different 

formulations. 

Another interesting feature is the hardness of coatings 

made with Denacol. Coating films formulated with 

Denacol GSR-101W show higher pencil hardness with 

good adhesion compared to BPA type epoxy resin, on 

aluminum plate. 

Denacol GSR-103W and GSR-104W have multifunctional 

epoxy groups and can improve adhesion 

performance with metal plate. 

All grades show a high water solubility, therefore are 

applicable for waterborne system and also contribute to a 

VOC free environment. MT 

http://www.nagase.co.jp/english 

http://www.nagasechemtex.co.jp/en/ 

Kharchenko@nagase.de 

Figure 1: Stress-strain behaviour 

Stress / MPa 

60 

40 

20 

0 

0 

Ref. Composition 1 Composition 2 

1 2 3 4 5 6 

Strain / % 

Composition 1 2 Ref. 

Denacol GSR-101 100 37 0 

TG-DDM 1 0 63 100 

DDS 2 23 27 30 

1 

Tetraglycidyl diaminodiphenyl methane type epoxy resin 

(WPE: 120 g/eq.) 

2 

Diaminodiphenyl sulfone 

Test item 3 

Denacol 

GSR-101 

BPA type 

epoxy resine 4 

Pencil hardness 2H B 

Adhesion 10 10 

3 

Substrate: Aluminium 

Composition: Epoxy resin/phenol novolac resin 

4 

WPR: 473 g/eq. 

Table 1 

Grade Chemical name WPE (g/eq.) Total chlorine content(%) Viscosity (mPa∙s, 25 °C) Bio-based content* (%) 

GSR-101W Isosorbide type epoxy resin 170 0.4 4,000 100 

GSR-103W Aliphatic epoxy resin 144 10.3 302 98 

GSR-104W Aliphatic epoxy resin 169 12.6 3,700 98 


Biocomposites 

Basalt fibers in 

biocomposites 

SmartCart galley cart made 

with FibriRock 

Load floor with 

basalt/flax/bioresin in the skins 

and an aramid paper core 

Ski’s, snowboards, hockeysticks, 

etc. are examples for 

the use of basalt fibres in the 

sports/leisure sector 

Property 

Basalt and furan resin 

give excellent abrasion 

performance (200,000 cycles) 

Value 

Tensile strength (ASTM D2343) 2,700 – 3,200 MPa 

E-Modulus (ASTM D2343) 

84 – 87 GPa 

Elongation at break 3.15 % 

Density 2.67 g/cm 3 

Melting point 1,450 °C 

Minimum operating temperature -260 °C 

Maximum operating temperature 600 °C 

Fire blocker Up to 1,200 °C 

Basaltex ® is a Belgian based company who introduced 

the basalt fiber to the European Market. It has many 

years of experience in basalt fibers and its applications. 

Basalt fibers are made from natural basalt rocks and 

unlike other materials such as glass fiber, essentially no 

other materials are added. The basalt stones are molten at 

1,400 – 1,450 °C and then extruded into continuous filaments 

of basalt fibers. The basalt fibers have mechanical properties 

that are better than glass, but are a lot cheaper than carbon 

or glass. However, due to good thermal properties of basalt 

and the fact that the fiber doesn’t burn, it is a fiber mostly 

used in fire resistant applications. 

Over the years Basaltex has been working closely together 

with customers to develop custom made basalt fiber solutions 

for primarily the technical textiles and composite sector. As 

like in any sector, sustainability is increasingly important 

and the search for sustainable and bio-solutions within 

composites is a constant trend. 

As basalt is one of the most common types of rock in the 

world, it has nontoxic properties and due to the very low 

consumption (1– 1.5 %) of chemicals during the production 

of basalt fibers, it is an ideal material to use in sustainable 

solutions. 

Fire resistant composite applications 

Within public transportation sectors regulations are only 

getting more stringent and this pushes towards the removal 

of phenolic based composites. Basaltex has developed in 

collaboration with Centexbel, NetComposites and TWI a 

bio based prepreg which outperforms E-glass/phenolic 

composite systems on both mechanical properties with equal 

to better fire performance. The basalt fabric is impregnated 

by a bio-resin (sugarcane-bagasse based furane resin) and 

can be cured in both conventional ways like vacuum bagging 

and compression moulding, but also more sustainable ways 

like micro-wave curing. The cured laminate is as such a 100 % 

fully bio composite (i. e. all carbon in the composite comes 

from renewable resources and none comes from petroleum. 

The basalt itself does not contain any carbon.) with excellent 

fire resistant properties. 

Tensile strength (MPa) 

500 

400 

300 

200 

100 

0 

326 344 

Basalt vs. E-glass laminate 

ISO 527-5 

441 

E-Modulus (GPa) 

20.9 

18.6 

ISO 527-5 

25.6 

E-glass/ phenolic E-glass/ bioresin Basalt-bioresin 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

0 


Biocomposites 

A second example is the FibriRock composite that 

is used in the lightweight SmartCart galley cart. This 

composite panel is made by EcoTechnilin and has won the 

Sustainability Award at JEC Composites Paris 2015 and 

the 3 rd price at the Innovation Award Bio-based Material 

of the Year 2015. 

This is an example of basalt fibers used in combination 

with other natural fibers in a sugar-based bio-resin. Except 

for the aramide core, this product is fully bio-sourced. The 

properties of the composite panel are lightweight, robust, 

good fire smoke toxicity performance, good mechanical 

performance (9G pull test), fast manufacturing process, 

it is mouldable, has good abrasion resistance and is low 

cost. The composite panels can be used for load-floors 

and trim panels, for both transport and construction. 

Other applications 

Another sector where basalt is often used is Sports 

& Leisure. In the early days a camera tripod was made 

using basalt fibers and an epoxy matrix, since then 

manufacturers of ski’s, snowboards, hockey-sticks, 

etc. found basalt fibers as an ideal fiber for its better 

mechanical properties than E-glass and lower cost than 

carbon. 

Some boat manufacturers have been using basalt 

multi-axial fabrics for hull reinforcement and mainsail 

reinforcement and have seen excellent performance. It 

seems that there is a nearby inexistent osmosis degrade, 

but specific research has to be carried on further. 

Within the above mentioned applications there is a 

change towards bio-grade epoxy resins, choosing basalt 

fibers or fabrics as reinforcement is only a logical ecological 

consequence. Currently these changes are made especially 

in more luxury and high end consumer markets. These 

consumer segments are more passionate about sustainability 

when it comes to purchase considerations. 

Future developments 

Basaltex will continuously develop both customer specific 

solutions and own products. The company will continue 

offering competitive products that meet the needs of the 

customers while trying to enhance the environmental impact 

of the end product. The target will be to share the successes of 

fully bio-based/sourced products with other markets. Larger 

consumer markets like automotive will be one of the first 

where the potential and demand is there for green solutions. 

www.basaltex.com 

By: 

Jeroen Debruyne 

Operations Manager 

Basaltex NV 

Wevelgem, Belgium 

Visions become reality. 

COMPOSITES EUROPE 

22.– 24. Sept. 2015 Messe Stuttgart 

10. Europäische Fachmesse & Forum für 

Verbundwerkstoffe, Technologie und Anwendungen 

www.composites-europe.com 

| 

Organised by 

Partners 


Biocomposites 

Carbon footprint of flax, 

hemp, jute and kenaf 

By: 

Martha Barth 

Michael Carus 

nova-Institute 

Hürth, Germany 

1 Introduction 

Natural fibres are an environmentally friendly 

alternative to glass and mineral fibres. In the last twenty 

years more and more natural fibres have started being 

used in biocomposites, mainly for the automotive sector 

and also as insulation material. 

As a first step towards supporting the development of 

sustainably produced and innovative biorefinery products, 

a carbon footprint for various natural fibres was conducted. 

These natural fibres include: flax, hemp, jute and kenaf. 

In the year 2012, 30,000 tonnes of natural fibres were 

used in the European automotive industry, mainly in socalled 

compression moulded parts, an increase from 

around 19,000 tonnes of natural fibres in 2005. As shown 

in figure 1, in 2012 flax had a market share of 50 % of the 

total volume of 30,000 tonnes of natural fibre composites. 

Kenaf fibres, with a 20 % market share, are followed by 

hemp fibres, with a 12 % market share, while other natural 

fibres, mainly jute, coir, sisal and abaca, account for 18 %. 

The total volume of the insulation market in Europe 

is about 3.3 million tonnes – the share of flax and hemp 

insulation material is 10,000 – 15,000 tonnes (ca. 0.5 %). 

Globally, cotton is the largest natural fibre produced, 

with an estimated average production of 25 million tonnes 

during recent years (2004 – 2012). Jute accounts for around 

3 million tonnes of production per year. Other natural fibres 

are produced in considerably smaller volumes. Globally, 

bast fibres play a rather small and specialized role in 

comparison to other fibres. The overview of worldwide 

production of other natural fibres for 1961 – 2013 based 

on FAO data (fig. 2) shows that jute has always been the 

most dominant of these materials. Apart from some fairly 

strong fluctuations, the overall volume of natural fibres 

produced globally has increased slightly over the last fifty 

years. The amount of jute has stayed more or less the 

same, coir has steadily increased its production volume, 

and production of flax and sisal has decreased. 

2 Carbon footprint 

The goal of this carbon footprint calculation is to evaluate 

the carbon footprint of the four most important natural 

fibres used in the automotive and insulation industry: flax, 

hemp, jute and kenaf. 

This study covers the cultivation, harvest, retting, 

processing and transportation of natural-bast-fibres 

from the northwest of Europe (flax and hemp), India and 

Bangladesh (jute and kenaf) to non-woven-producers in 

Europe. One tonne of technical fibre for the production 

of non-wovens for biocomposites or insulation material 

is used as functional unit. In particular, inventory 

data related to current conditions (2013/2014) of the 

agricultural system, fibre processing and transportation 

were obtained from farmers and fibre producers and 

where necessary complemented with bibliographic 

sources. Allocation was necessary as all four fibre 

systems provide more than one product: e. g. the fibre 

process also produces shives and dust. In this study 

mass-based allocation was used for all four investigated 

systems, as it is more stable than economic allocation, 

which fluctuates more. 

Fig. 2: Development of worldwide natural fibre production 1961 – 2013 in million tonnes 

without cotton (based on FAOSTAT 2015) 

Fig. 1: Use of natural fibres for composites 

in the European automotive industry 2012 

(total volume 30,000 tonnes, without cotton 

and wood); others are mainly jute, coir, sisal 

and abaca 

7 

6 

18 % 

5 

12 % 

50 % 

4 

3 

Sisal 

Ramie 

Jute 

Hemp 

Flax 

Coir 

2 

20 % 

1 

Flax 

Kenaf 

Hemp 

Others 

1961 

1963 

1965 

1967 

1969 

1971 

1973 

1975 

1977 

1979 

1981 

1983 

1985 

1987 

1989 

1991 

1993 

1995 

1997 

1999 

2001 

2003 

2005 

2007 

2009 

2011 

2013 


Biocomposites 

2.1 Comparison of the carbon footprint of flax, 

hemp, jute and kenaf 

Figure 3 sums up the results of the greenhouse gas (GHG) 

emission calculation for flax, hemp, jute and kenaf. The 

result is that GHG emissions per tonne show no significant 

differences, especially when taking the uncertainty of the data 

into account. However there are some differences in results, 

which are described in more detail below: 

• The emissions related to the fertilizer subsystem are the 

most important contributors to greenhouse gas emissions 

of each considered bast fibre. 

However, the use of organic fertilizer for hemp cultivation 

(scenario 2) minimizes these emissions. Organic based 

fertilization is, however, not an option for all fibres, for 

different reasons (details see [1]). 

• Pesticides contribute relatively little to the carbon 

footprint of each fibre, except for the emissions stemming 

from pesticides used during flax cultivation. Due to its 

low shading capacity, flax is prone to weed infestation. 

Therefore, herbicides usually need to be applied for flax in 

higher doses. 

• Field operations, decortication and transportation differ 

for jute and kenaf and hemp and flax. Field operations 

and decortication of jute and kenaf are mainly done 

manually, which causes relatively low emissions. Since 

both are grown and processed outside of Europe, however, 

transportation must be taken into account, both overland 

transport from the farm to the processing site as well as 

marine transportation to the factory gate in Europe. 

• Another important contributor to overall greenhouse gas 

emissions for hemp and flax straw is their procession into 

fibres. These emissions are mainly caused by the energy 

consumption for decortication and fibre opening. Jute and 

kenaf fibre opening, is done by machines; on the other 

hand, decortication is done manually. Therefore the impact 

of fibre processing for jute and kenaf is smaller compared 

to hemp and flax fibre processing. 

2.2 Comparison with fossil based fibres 

In the impact category greenhouse gas emission, 

natural fibres show lower emissions than fossil 

based materials. For instance, production of 1 tonne 

of continuous filament glass fibre products (CFGF) 

extracted and manufactured from raw materials for 

factory export has an average impact of 1.7 tonnes 

CO 2-eq 

. Based on data from Ecoinvent 3, glass fibre 

production has an impact of 2.2 tonnes CO 2-eq 

per 

tonne glass fibre. Compared with natural fibres, 

which have greenhouse gas emissions between 

0.5–0.7 tonnes of CO 2-eq 

per tonne of natural fibre 

(from cultivation to fibre factory exit gate, excluding 

transport to the customer), impact on climate 

change from glass fibre production is three times 

higher than the impact from natural fibre production. 

This is also reflected in the impact category 

primary energy use. Figure 4 shows primary energy 

use for the production of hemp fibre compared to 

a number of non-renewable materials. With about 

5 GJ/t, the production of hemp fibre shows the lowest 

production energy of all the materials by far. For 

example, primary energy for producing glass fibre 

accounts for up to 35 GJ/t of glass fibre, which is 

seven times as much primary energy as hemp fibre 

uses. 

Natural fibres are used in biocomposites, among 

other things. Biocomposites are composed of a 

polymer and natural fibres, the latter of which gives 

biocomposites their strength. Figure 5 indicates 

that hemp fibre composites show greenhouse gas 

emission savings of 10 – 50 % compared to their 

functionally equal fossil based counterparts; when 

carbon storage is included, greenhouse gas savings 

are consistently higher, at 30 – 70 %. However, the 

great advantage of natural fibres compared to glass 

fibres, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, only 

partially remains for their final products, because 

further processing steps mitigate their benefits. 

Fig. 3: Comparison of greenhouse gas emissions per tonne natural fibre (flax, hemp, jute and kenaf) 

Hemp 

(scenario 1: mineral fertilizer) 

Hemp 

(scenario 2: organic fertilizer) 

Flax 

Jute 

Kenaf 

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 

kg CO 2-eq 

/t natural fibre 

Field operations 

Seeds 

Fertilizer 

Fertilizer-induced N 2 

O-emissions 

Pesticides 

Transport I (field to processing) 

Fibre processing 

Transport II (Asia to Europe) 

Transport III (within Europe) 


Biocomposites 

Fig. 4: Primary energy use of different materials in GJ/t 

GJ/t 

350 

300 

250 

200 

150 

100 

50 

0 

Carbon 

fibre 

PUR PES PES PP Glass 

fibre 

Mineral Hemp 

wool fibre 

Fig. 5: GHG emissions expressed in percentages for the 

production of fossil based and hemp based composites for a 

number of studies – showing the effects of biogenic carbon 

storage where available 

100 

Hemp-based composites, accounted for carbon storage 

Hemp-based composites, not accounted for carbon storage 

Fossil-based composites 

3 Discussion on further sustainability 

aspects of natural bast fibres 

Although carbon footprints are a very useful 

tool to assess the climate impact of products, a 

comprehensive ecological evaluation must consider 

further environmental categories. Only taking into 

account greenhouse gas emissions can lead to 

inadequate product reviews and recommendations for 

action, in particular when other environmental impacts 

have not been considered at all. Therefore, one task of 

further studies is to take other impact categories into 

consideration. 

Since natural fibres are used in many industry 

sectors, certification is a suitable instrument to prove 

sustainability. At the moment there are certification 

systems available which insure the production of 

biomass in a social and environmentally sustainable 

way. For natural technical fibres there are two 

favourable systems in place which are recognized 

worldwide. These are (in alphabetical order): 

1. International Sustainability & Carbon Certification 

(ISCC PLUS) for food and feed products as well 

as for technical/chemical applications (e. g. 

bioplastics) and applications in the bioenergy sector 

(e. g. solid biomass). 

2. Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) is 

an international multi-stakeholder initiative for 

the global standard and certification scheme for 

sustainable production of biomaterials and biofuels. 

Natural fibres certified as sustainable have hitherto 

been unavailable on the market. However, the ISCC 

PLUS certification is currently underway for different 

hemp fibre producers within Europe. So it is expected 

that the first sustainable certificated natural fibres will 

be available by the end of 2015. 

http://bio-based.eu 

GHG emissions in %: fossil- and hemp-based 

composites compared 

80 

60 

40 

20 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

[1] Barth, M., Carus, M.: Carbon Footprint and Sustainability of 

Different Natural Fibres for Biocomposites and Insulation 

Material, nova-Institute, Hürth, Germany, 2015 

0 

Hemp fibre/PP vs. 

GF/PP mat 


GF composites 


PP composite 

Hemp fibre/epoxy vs. 

ABS automotive door panel 

Hemp fibre/PTP vs. 

GF/PES bus exterior panel 

Hemp/PP vs. 

GF/PP battery tray 

This article is an extract from the publication 

“Carbon Footprint and Sustainability of Different 

Natural Fibres for Biocomposites and Insulation 

Material“ that is available for download at www.biobased.eu/ecology 

. The publication also includes 

various references which were not reproduced here 

in the interest of length. 


PRESENTS 

2015 

THE TENTH ANNUAL GLOBAL AWARD FOR 

DEVELOPERS, MANUFACTURERS AND USERS OF 

BIOBASED PLASTICS. 

Call for proposals 

Enter your own product, service or development, or nominate 

your favourite example from another organisation 

Please let us know until July 30 th 

1. What the product, service or development is and does 

2. Why you think this product, service or development should win an award 

3. What your (or the proposed) company or organisation does 

Your entry should not exceed 500 words (approx. 1 page) and may also 

be supported with photographs, samples, marketing brochures and/or 

technical documentation (cannot be sent back). The 5 nominees must be 

prepared to provide a 30 second videoclip 

More details and an entry form can be downloaded from 

www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/award 

The Bioplastics Award will be presented during the 

10 th European Bioplastics Conference 

November 5-6 2015, Berlin, Germany 

supported by 

Sponsors welcome, please contact mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com 

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/15] Vol. 10 9

Biocomposites 

Figure 1: Reduction of weight and cost using powerRibs at a 

constant flexural stiffness 

Price (EUR/m 2 ) 

Relative specific flexural stiffness (-) 

45 

40 

35 

30 

25 

Plates for given flexural stiffness (t CFRP 

= 1 mm) 

-27 % 

CFRP 

-40 % 

20 

CFRP + powerRibs 

GFRP 

-30 % 

15 

-43 % 

GFRP + powerRibs 

10 

-42 % 

NF Mat + powerRibs 

NF Mat 

5 

1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 

Weight (kg/m 2 ) 

Figure 2: Flexural stiffness increase with powerRibs at constant 

weight 

12 Bcomp 

powerRibs 

10 

8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

Aluminium 

Glass fibre 

composite 

Carbon fibre 

composite 

Increasing rib thickness 

Flax fibre 

composite 

powerRibs 

technology 

Well-known concepts 

Back in 2010, two PhD students from the Swiss Federal 

Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) were discussing 

a technical problem during a run in the forest. They wanted 

to develop a natural fibre composite tube which was lighter 

and stiffer than the carbon composite version. The materials 

engineer Christian Fischer had the idea to reinforce the 

tube from the inside with a ribbed structure. While the idea 

sounded interesting, the mechanical engineer Julien Rion 

demonstrated how this concept would increase the stiffness 

of the tube’s wall, but not of the overall tube. The intense 

exchange that followed lead to the invention of the powerRibs 

technology, and the patent was filed soon after. 

This technology is based on the concept of the leaf-veins, 

rigidifying a surface with minimum weight. Instead of the 

nervures we use so called ribs made with flax fibres to 

reinforce thin-walled structures, resulting in a pseudo mini 

sandwich, since no core material is involved. 

These ribs are easily combined with any type of base fabrics, 

such as natural fibre- (NF), glass fibre- (GF) or carbon fibre 

(CF) preforms 

Natural fibres in space 

With their high stiffness, low density and limited length, flax 

fibres are ideal for the use in the powerRibs technology. Their 

maximum fibre length of 60 cm – looking like a disadvantage 

at first sight – is a key factor for this technology, since the 

fibres need to be spun into a continuous yarn for further 

textile processing. Thanks to the resulting twist, the yarn has 

a good compression strength perpendicular to its direction, 

keeping its shape during composite processing, and leading 

to a 3D surface characteristic to the powerRibs technology. 

However, the mechanical properties in yarn direction rapidly 

decrease when the twist is too high. 

With this in mind, the Bcomp Ltd. engineers have been 

optimizing the yarn twist angle over several years. The findings 

have been further developed in the framework of several R&D 

Potential applications using powerRibs 

powerRibs with 

Duroplast 

powerRibs with 

Thermoplast 

Automotive Space Leisure Automotive Luggage 

Body parts 

Roof 

Spoiler 

Trunk lid 

Back rest 

Satelite Canoes & 

structures kayaks 

Star tracker 

Surf & SUP 

baffles 

Solid rocket 

booster top Bike frames 

cones 

Maintenance 

doors 

Front panel 

Door interior 

panels 

Loading 

areas 

Trunk lid 

Back rest 

Luggage 

shell parts 

Local reinforcement 

Electro 

casing 


Biocomposites 

By: 

cYrille Boinay 

managing director, co-founder 

Bcomp Ltd. 

Fribourg, Switzerland 

Figure 3: Effect of powerRibs on damping properties 

projects, and have been applied to various customer projects 

within the mobility-, space- and sports & leisure industries. 

One example is the European Space Agency which is highly 

interested in the unique combination of high stiffness and 

damping properties offered by this technology. 

High relevance due to less weight and less cost 

The main effect of the powerRibs is that they triple the 

flexural stiffness of thin-walled structures without adding 

weight. Thus, cost and weight can be reduced when making 

composite parts, and damping properties can be increased 

by up to 250 %. For any given composite part, a large part 

of the synthetic fibres – such as glass or carbon – can be 

replaced with this novel material, increasing the part’s biobased 

material content. This effect adds up to the powerRibs 

structure’s lower weight, outperforming any given material in 

terms of sustainability. 

The powerRibs fabrics can easily be processed with the 

common vacuum molding techniques. Furthermore, Bcomp 

Ltd. has partnered with processing technology partners, 

to develop concepts for the mass production of powerRibs 

parts. Depending on the final application, two processing 

technologies are currently available: a sophisticated 

thermoplastic version for interior automotive parts and 

luggage shells on one hand side, and a thermoset-based 

version for the production of automotive body- and space 

parts on the other hand side. 

The powerRibs technology was awarded with the JEC 

Innovation Award 2015, the Swiss Excellence Award and the 

Hermes Price. 

Normalized specific flexural stiffness (-) 

1.3 

1.2 

1.1 

1.0 

0.9 

0.8 

0.7 

0.6 

Carbon 

Carbon + powerRibs 

Flax + powerRibs 

0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008 0.010 0.012 0.014 

Loss factor, ξ (-) 

Figure 4: Eco-footprint of flax fibre composites 

Specific tensile modulus, E/ρ (MPa/(kg/m 3 )) 

90 

85 

30 

25 

20 

Stiffer 

Flax fiber composites 

Thermoset 

Carbon fiber composites 

Recycled 

Thermoplastic 

Glass fiber composites 

Wood 

Aluminium 

Greener 

Primary 

Bcomp have compiled a significant amount of data on 

the material‘s mechanical properties, such as static- and 

dynamic behaviour, thermo-mechanical characteristics and 

processing parameters of various production technologies 

which can be found on the website 

www.bcomp.ch. 

15 

0 1x10 5 2x10 5 3x10 5 4x10 5 5x10 5 6x10 5 

Embodied energy per m 3 , H m 

*ρ (MJ/m 3 ) 

Technical data powerRibs: 

Rib thickness 

Yarn thickness 

Grid mesh size 

Rib stiffness 

1 – 2 mm 

1,500 – 3,000 tex 

15 – 28 mm 

20 GPa 

Fabric Areal Weight (FAW) 200 – 240 g/m 2 

Standard width 

Sales unit 

1,150 mm 

Roll of 50 linear meters 

Fibre volume ratio (vacuum infusion) 40 % 

Weight reduction* 25 % 

Damping properties* +350 % 

CO 2 

reduction* -50 % 

*Comparison between a 0/90° carbon composite plate of 1 mm 

thickness, and a plate with half the carbon quantity with 

powerRibs 


Report 

Holland Bioplastics 

New association shares knowledge and 

connects parties around bioplastics 

Attention for bioplastics is increasing in the Netherlands. There are both national and international companies that focus 

on the production and processing of bioplastics. However, there is still a need for further awareness of the benefits of 

using bioplastics both in the public and business domain. In an attempt to increase awareness and understanding of 

bioplastics in the Netherlands, Holland Bioplastics was recently formed. 

NatureWorks, Braskem, Bio4Pack and Corbion are the founding partners who took the initiative to start Holland Bioplastics 

with the aim to share and provide unified, clear and objective information regarding bioplastics and their advantages. In addition, 

it is the aim to connect interested parties to further strengthen the bioplastics value chain. 

François de Bie, Marketing Director Bioplastics at Corbion: “Innovation and investments are taking place in new materials, 

knowledge and technologies in order to make the transition from an oil-based, linear economy to a more bio-based, circular 

economy. This provides an important contribution to the Dutch economy and serves to create new jobs. But to achieve this, 

parties need to be able to find each other.” 

“Until recently, The Netherlands remained behind with bioplastic developments, but now we are catching up” says Patrick 

Gerritsen of Bio4Pack. “Bioplastics are already widely accepted worldwide, and are being used by leading brands such as Ford, 

Nike, Puma, Toyota, Mercedes and The Coca Cola Company. In the Netherlands, bioplastics are a strong, upcoming market and 

are already being used by Albert Heijn, The Greenery, M+N, KLM, Rabobank, Desch, Heineken and Grolsch.” 

The association is represented by Caroli Buitenhuis, bioplastics expert, and not related to one specific bioplastics producer 

or convertor. “This makes it easier for entrepreneurs and brand owners to get objective information on bioplastics”, she tells. 

“But we have more ambitions. We also aim to clarify emotional assumptions around bioplastics with objective hard facts, 

proven with scientific research. Therefore we also work together with international knowledge institutes and universities.” 

Holland Bioplastics is also committed to streamlining processes; from crop to end-of-life, and vice versa. Therefore the 

association participates in a special working group Bioplastics, initiated by the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment. 

Within this working group there are also representatives from the composting industry, plastics recycling industry, knowledge 

institutes and retailers/brand owners. 

Participation in this new association is open to all those who are involved directly or indirectly in the production, manufacture, 

research and / or marketing of bioplastics and if they share the same aim. 

www.hollandbioplastics.nl. 


4 th PLA World Congress 

MAY 2016 MUNICH › GERMANY 

is a versatile bioplastics raw 

PLA material from renewable resources. 

It is being used for films and rigid packaging, 

for fibres in woven and non-woven applications. 

Automotive industry 

and consumer electronics are thoroughly 

investigating and even already applying PLA. 

New methods of polymerizing, compounding 

or blending of PLA have broadened the range 

of properties and thus the range of possible 

applications. 

That‘s why bioplastics MAGAZINE is now 

organizing the 4 th PLA World Congress on: 

May 2016 in Munich / Germany 

Experts from all involved fields will share their 

knowledge and contribute to a comprehensive 

overview of today‘s opportunities and challenges 

and discuss the possibilities, limitations 

and future prospects of PLA for all kind of 

applications. Like the three two congresses 

the 4 th PLA World Congress will also offer 

excellent networking opportunities for all 

delegates and speakers as well as exhibitors 

of the table-top exhibition. 

The conference will comprise high class presentations on 

Call for Papers 

bioplastics MAGAZINE invites all experts 

worldwide from material development, 

processing and application of PLA to 

submit proposals for papers on the latest 

developments and innovations. 

Please send your proposal, including 

speaker details and a 300 word abstract to 

mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com. 

The team of bioplastics MAGAZINE is looking 

forward to seeing you in Munich. 

› Online registration will be available soon. 

Watch out for the Early–Bird discount as well 

as sponsoring opportunities at 

www.pla-world-congress.com 

› Latest developments 

› Market overview 

› High temperature behaviour 

› Barrier issues 

› Additives / Colorants 

› Applications (film and rigid packaging, textile, 

automotive,electronics, toys, and many more) 

› Fibers, fabrics, textiles, nonwovens 

› Reinforcements 

› End of life options 

(recycling,composting, incineration etc) 

organized by

Basics 

Frequently asked 

questions 

By Michael Thielen 

Even if bioplastics MAGAZINE has tried to give answers 

to all kind of questions from the field of biobased 

and biodegradable plastics for almost ten years now, 

there are always the same questions asked by people who 

just learned about these new kinds of materials. European 

Bioplastics has put together a comprehensive set of such 

FAQ which is accessible via their website or as a pdf document 

for download. Here bioplastics MAGAZINE presents a 

small and edited excerpt of these FAQ: 

What are bioplastics: bioplastics are biobased, 

biodegradable or both. The term biobased describes the 

part of a material or product that stems from biomass. 

When making a biobased claim, the unit (biobased 

carbon content or biobased mass content) expressed as 

a percentage and the method of measurement should be 

clearly stated. Biodegradability is an inherent property in 

certain materials that can benefit specific applications, 

e.g. biowaste bags. Biodegradation is a chemical process 

in which materials, with the help of microorganisms, 

degrade back into water, carbondioxide and biomass. 

When materials biodegrade under conditions and within a 

timeframe as defined by the EN 13432 standard, they can 

be labelled as industrially compostable 

What are the advantages of bioplastic products? Biobased 

plastics help reduce the dependency on limited fossil 

resources, which are expected to become significantly 

more expensive in the coming decades. Slowly depleted 

fossil resources are being gradually substituted with 

renewable resources (currently predominantly annual 

crops, such as corn and sugar beet, or perennial cultures, 

such as cassava and sugar cane). 

Biobased plastics also possess the unique potential 

to reduce GHG emissions or even be carbon neutral. 

Plants absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide as they grow. 

Using this biomass to create biobased plastic products 

constitutes a temporary removal of greenhouse gases 

(CO 2 

) from the atmosphere. This carbon fixation can be 

extended for a period of time if the material is recycled. 

Another major benefit offered by biobased plastics is that 

they can close the cycle and increase resource efficiency. 

This potential can be exploited most effectively by 

establishing use cascades, in which renewable resources 

are firstly used to produce materials and products prior to 

being used for energy recovery. This means either: 

1. using renewable resources for bioplastic products, 

mechanically recycling these products several times 

and recovering their renewable energy at the end of their 

product life or 

2. using renewable resources for bioplastic products, 

organically recycling them (composting) at the end of a 

product’s life cycle (if certified accordingly) and creating 

valuable biomass/humus during the process. This 

resulting new product facilitates plant growth thus closing 

the cycle. Furthermore, plastics that are biobased and 

compostable can help to divert biowaste from landfill and 

increase waste management efficiency across Europe. 

All in all, bioplastics can raise resource efficiency to its 

(current) best potential. 

Are bioplastics edible? Bioplastics are used in packaging, 

catering products, automotive parts, electronic consumer 

goods and have many more applications where 

conventional plastics are used. Neither conventional 

plastic nor bioplastic should be ingested. Bioplastics used 

in food and beverage packaging are approved for food 

contact, but are not suitable for human consumption. 

Can fossil-based plastics be completely substituted 

by biobased bioplastics? According to the PRO BIP 

study conducted by the University of Utrecht, bioplastics 

could technically substitute about 85 % of conventional 

plastics, though this is not a realistic short- or mid-term 

development. With a share of 1.6 million tonnes (2013) 

compared to 300 million tonnes total plastic production 

per year, bioplastics are still only beginning to penetrate 

the market. However, with increasing availability and a 

quickly expanding number of products in diverse market 

segments, bioplastics will become a significant part of the 

plastics market in the long run. 

How are costs for bioplastics developing? The cost of 

research and development still makes up for a share of 

investment in bioplastics and has an impact on material 

and product prices. However, prices have continuously 

been decreasing over the last decade. With rising demand, 

increasing volumes of bioplastics on the market and rising 

oil-prices, the costs for bioplastics will be comparable 

with those for conventional plastic prices. 

How much agricultural area is used for bioplastics? In 

2013, the global production capacities for bioplastics 

amounted to around 1.6 million tonnes. This translates 

into approximately 600,000 hectares of land. 

The surface area required to grow sufficient feedstock for 

today’s bioplastic production is therefore about 0.01 % of 

the global agricultural area of 5 billion hectares. 

Assuming continued high and maybe even politically 

supported growth in the bioplastics market, at the current 

stage of technological development a market of around 6.7 

million tonnes accounting for about 1.3 million hectares 


Basics 

could be achieved by the year 2018, which equates to 

approximately 0.02 % of the global agricultural area. 

There are also many opportunities including using an 

increased share of food residues, non-food crops or 

cellulosic biomass that could lead to even less land use 

demand for bioplastics than the amount given above. 

Is the current use of food crops ethically justifiable? 

According to the FAO, about one third of global food 

production is either wasted or lost every year. European 

Bioplastics acknowledges that this is a serious problem 

and strongly supports the food industry’s efforts to reduce 

food waste as a key element in fighting world hunger. 

The main deficiencies that need to be addressed are: 

- logistical aspects such as poor distribution/storage of 

food/feed, 

- political instability, and 

- lack of financial resources. 

When it comes to using biomass there is no competition 

between food/ feed and bioplastics. About 0.01 percent of 

the global agricultural area is used to grow feedstock for 

bioplastics, compared to 97 percent used for food, feed 

and pastures. 

Food crops such as corn or sugar cane are currently the 

most productive and resilient feedstock available. Other 

solutions (non-food crops or waste from food crops) will 

be available in the medium and long term with second and 

third generation feedstock under development. 

There is no well-founded argument against a responsible 

and monitored (i. e. sustainable) use of food crops for 

bioplastics. Independent third party certification schemes 

can help to take social, environmental and economic 

criteria into account and to ensure that bioplastics are a 

purely beneficial innovation. 

Are GMO crops used for bioplastics? The use of GM crops 

is not a technical requirement for the manufacturing of 

any bioplastic commercially available today. If GM crops 

are used, the reasons lie in the economic or regional 

feedstock supply situation. 

If GM crops are used in bioplastic production, the multiplestage 

processing and high heat used to create the polymer 

removes all traces of genetic material. This means that 

the final bioplastic product contains no genetic traces. The 

resulting bioplastic is therefore well suited to use in food 

packaging as it contains no genetically modified material 

and cannot interact with the contents. 

What is the difference between oxo-fragmentable and 

biodegradable plastics? The underlying technology 

of oxo-degradability or oxo-fragmentation is based on 

special additives, which are purported to accelerate the 

fragmentation of the film products if incorporated into 

standard resins. The resulting fragments remain in the 

environment. 

Biodegradability is an inherent characteristic of a 

material or product. In contrast to oxo-fragmentation, 

biodegradation results from the action of naturally 

occurring microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and 

algae. The process produces water, carbon and biomass 

as end products. 

Oxo-fragmentable materials cannot biodegrade as 

defined in industry accepted standard specifications such 

as ASTM D6400, ASTM D6868, ASTM, D7081 or EN 13432. 

What are enzyme-mediated plastics? Enzyme-mediated 

plastics are not bioplastics. They are not biobased and 

they are not reported to be biodegradable or compostable 

in accordance with any standard. Enzyme-mediated 

plastics are conventional, non-biodegradable plastics (e.g. 

PE) enriched with small amounts of an organic additive. 

The degradation process is supposed to be initiated 

by microorganisms, which consume the additives. It is 

claimed that this process expands to the PE, thus making 

the material degradable. The plastic is said to visually 

disappear and to be completely converted into carbon 

dioxide and water after some time. 

Is biodegradation a solution for the littering problem? 

A product should be designed with an efficient recovery 

solution. In the case of biodegradable plastic items, the 

preferable recovery solution is collection with biowaste, 

organic recycling (e.g. composting) and the creation 

of compost (a type of humus which is beneficial for soil 

fertility). Designing a product for littering of any kind 

would mean encouraging the misuse of disposal, which is 

unfortunately widespread. Consequently, biodegradability 

does not constitute a permit to litter. 

However, the issue of pollution, especially marine pollution, 

is taken very seriously by the bioplastics industry; research 

is actively being conducted to provide further factual 

information in the immediate future. Generally, when 

advertising products as biodegradable, a clear message 

should be communicated to consumers, who often 

misunderstand this property. A clear recommendation on 

product recovery is therefore important. 

Are biobased plastics more sustainable than conventional 

plastics? Biobased plastics have clear advantages over 

conventional plastics. They provide the same and in 

some cases better performance while also being based 

on renewable resources. Thus, the plastics industry will 

be able to move away from finite fossil resources in the 

future and take its place in the bioeconomy. Saving fossil 

resources and reducing GHG emissions are two inherent 

advantages that biobased plastics offer in contrast to 

conventional plastics. With use cascades biobased plastics 

can also contribute towards closing the loop of a product 

thus helping to increase resource efficiency immensely. 

Bioplastics are either more sustainable than conventional 

plastics or have the potential to be so. According to a 

study by the German Environment Agency “bioplastics are 

at least as good as conventional plastics”. The study also 

mentions that “considerable potential is as yet untapped” . 

Info: 

The complete set of European Bioplastics’ FAQ can be found 

at their website: 

http://en.european-bioplastics.org/press/faq-bioplastics/ 

A pdf-version of the FAQ 

can be downloaded from 

http://bit.ly/1J2y1X9 


Basics 

Glossary 4.0 last update issue 01/2015 

In bioplastics MAGAZINE again and again 

the same expressions appear that some of our readers 

might not (yet) be familiar with. This glossary shall help 

with these terms and shall help avoid repeated explanations 

such as PLA (Polylactide) in various articles. 

Bioplastics (as defined by European Bioplastics 

e.V.) is a term used to define two different 

kinds of plastics: 

a. Plastics based on → renewable resources 

(the focus is the origin of the raw material 

used). These can be biodegradable or not. 

b. → Biodegradable and → compostable 

plastics according to EN13432 or similar 

standards (the focus is the compostability of 

the final product; biodegradable and compostable 

plastics can be based on renewable 

(biobased) and/or non-renewable (fossil) resources). 

Bioplastics may be 

- based on renewable resources and biodegradable; 

- based on renewable resources but not be 

biodegradable; and 

- based on fossil resources and biodegradable. 

1 st Generation feedstock | Carbohydrate rich 

plants such as corn or sugar cane that can 

also be used as food or animal feed are called 

food crops or 1 st generation feedstock. Bred 

my mankind over centuries for highest energy 

efficiency, currently, 1 st generation feedstock 

is the most efficient feedstock for the production 

of bioplastics as it requires the least 

amount of land to grow and produce the highest 

yields. [bM 04/09] 

2 nd Generation feedstock | refers to feedstock 

not suitable for food or feed. It can be either 

non-food crops (e.g. cellulose) or waste materials 

from 1 st generation feedstock (e.g. 

waste vegetable oil). [bM 06/11] 

3 rd Generation feedstock | This term currently 

relates to biomass from algae, which 

– having a higher growth yield than 1 st and 2 nd 

generation feedstock – were given their own 

category. 

Aerobic digestion | Aerobic means in the 

presence of oxygen. In →composting, which is 

an aerobic process, →microorganisms access 

the present oxygen from the surrounding atmosphere. 

They metabolize the organic material 

to energy, CO 2 

, water and cell biomass, 

whereby part of the energy of the organic material 

is released as heat. [bM 03/07, bM 02/09] 

Since this Glossary will not be printed 

in each issue you can download a pdf version 

from our website (bit.ly/OunBB0) 

bioplastics MAGAZINE is grateful to European Bioplastics for the permission to use parts of their Glossary. 

This new version 4.0 was revised using EuBP’s latest version (Jan 2015). All new or revised parts are printed in green 

[*: bM ... refers to more comprehensive article previously published in bioplastics MAGAZINE) 

Anaerobic digestion | In anaerobic digestion, 

organic matter is degraded by a microbial 

population in the absence of oxygen and producing 

methane and carbon dioxide (= biogas) 

and a solid residue that can be composted 

in a subsequent step without practically releasing 

any heat. The biogas can be treated 

in a Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHP), 

producing electricity and heat, or can be upgraded 

to bio-methane [14] [bM 06/09] 

Amorphous | non-crystalline, glassy with unordered 

lattice 

Amylopectin | Polymeric branched starch 

molecule with very high molecular weight 

(biopolymer, monomer is →Glucose) [bM 05/09] 

Amylose | Polymeric non-branched starch 

molecule with high molecular weight (biopolymer, 

monomer is →Glucose) [bM 05/09] 

Biobased | The term biobased describes the 

part of a material or product that is stemming 

from →biomass. When making a biobasedclaim, 

the unit (→biobased carbon content, 

→biobased mass content), a percentage and 

the measuring method should be clearly stated [1] 

Biobased carbon | carbon contained in or 

stemming from →biomass. A material or 

product made of fossil and →renewable resources 

contains fossil and →biobased carbon. 

The biobased carbon content is measured via 

the 14 C method (radio carbon dating method) 

that adheres to the technical specifications as 

described in [1,4,5,6]. 

Biobased labels | The fact that (and to 

what percentage) a product or a material is 

→biobased can be indicated by respective 

labels. Ideally, meaningful labels should be 

based on harmonised standards and a corresponding 

certification process by independent 

third party institutions. For the property 

biobased such labels are in place by certifiers 

→DIN CERTCO and →Vinçotte who both base 

their certifications on the technical specification 

as described in [4,5] 

A certification and corresponding label depicting 

the biobased mass content was developed 

by the French Association Chimie du Végétal 

[ACDV]. 

Biobased mass content | describes the 

amount of biobased mass contained in a material 

or product. This method is complementary 

to the 14 C method, and furthermore, takes 

other chemical elements besides the biobased 

carbon into account, such as oxygen, nitrogen 

and hydrogen. A measuring method has 

been developed and tested by the Association 

Chimie du Végétal (ACDV) [1] 

Biobased plastic | A plastic in which constitutional 

units are totally or partly from → 

biomass [3]. If this claim is used, a percentage 

should always be given to which extent 

the product/material is → biobased [1] 

[bM 01/07, bM 03/10] 

Biodegradable Plastics | Biodegradable Plastics 

are plastics that are completely assimilated 

by the → microorganisms present a defined 

environment as food for their energy. The 

carbon of the plastic must completely be converted 

into CO 2 

during the microbial process. 

The process of biodegradation depends on 

the environmental conditions, which influence 

it (e.g. location, temperature, humidity) and 

on the material or application itself. Consequently, 

the process and its outcome can vary 

considerably. Biodegradability is linked to the 

structure of the polymer chain; it does not depend 

on the origin of the raw materials. 

There is currently no single, overarching standard 

to back up claims about biodegradability. 

One standard for example is ISO or in Europe: 

EN 14995 Plastics- Evaluation of compostability 

- Test scheme and specifications 

[bM 02/06, bM 01/07] 

Biogas | → Anaerobic digestion 

Biomass | Material of biological origin excluding 

material embedded in geological formations 

and material transformed to fossilised 

material. This includes organic material, e.g. 

trees, crops, grasses, tree litter, algae and 

waste of biological origin, e.g. manure [1, 2] 

Biorefinery | the co-production of a spectrum 

of bio-based products (food, feed, materials, 

chemicals including monomers or building 

blocks for bioplastics) and energy (fuels, power, 

heat) from biomass.[bM 02/13] 

Blend | Mixture of plastics, polymer alloy of at 

least two microscopically dispersed and molecularly 

distributed base polymers 

Bisphenol-A (BPA) | Monomer used to produce 

different polymers. BPA is said to cause 

health problems, due to the fact that is behaves 

like a hormone. Therefore it is banned 

for use in children’s products in many countries. 

BPI | Biodegradable Products Institute, a notfor-profit 

association. Through their innovative 

compostable label program, BPI educates 

manufacturers, legislators and consumers 

about the importance of scientifically based 

standards for compostable materials which 

biodegrade in large composting facilities. 

Carbon footprint | (CFPs resp. PCFs – Product 

Carbon Footprint): Sum of →greenhouse 

gas emissions and removals in a product system, 

expressed as CO 2 

equivalent, and based 

on a →life cycle assessment. The CO 2 

equivalent 

of a specific amount of a greenhouse gas 

is calculated as the mass of a given greenhouse 

gas multiplied by its →global warmingpotential 

[1,2,15] 


Basics 

Carbon neutral, CO 2 

neutral | describes a 

product or process that has a negligible impact 

on total atmospheric CO 2 

levels. For 

example, carbon neutrality means that any 

CO 2 

released when a plant decomposes or 

is burnt is offset by an equal amount of CO 2 

absorbed by the plant through photosynthesis 

when it is growing. 

Carbon neutrality can also be achieved 

through buying sufficient carbon credits to 

make up the difference. The latter option is 

not allowed when communicating → LCAs 

or carbon footprints regarding a material or 

product [1, 2]. 

Carbon-neutral claims are tricky as products 

will not in most cases reach carbon neutrality 

if their complete life cycle is taken into consideration 

(including the end-of life). 

If an assessment of a material, however, is 

conducted (cradle to gate), carbon neutrality 

might be a valid claim in a B2B context. In this 

case, the unit assessed in the complete life 

cycle has to be clarified [1] 

Cascade use | of →renewable resources means 

to first use the →biomass to produce biobased 

industrial products and afterwards – due to 

their favourable energy balance – use them 

for energy generation (e.g. from a biobased 

plastic product to →biogas production). The 

feedstock is used efficiently and value generation 

increases decisively. 

Catalyst | substance that enables and accelerates 

a chemical reaction 

Cellophane | Clear film on the basis of →cellulose 

[bM 01/10] 

Cellulose | Cellulose is the principal component 

of cell walls in all higher forms of plant 

life, at varying percentages. It is therefore the 

most common organic compound and also 

the most common polysaccharide (multisugar) 

[11]. Cellulose is a polymeric molecule 

with very high molecular weight (monomer is 

→Glucose), industrial production from wood 

or cotton, to manufacture paper, plastics and 

fibres [bM 01/10] 

Cellulose ester | Cellulose esters occur by 

the esterification of cellulose with organic acids. 

The most important cellulose esters from 

a technical point of view are cellulose acetate 

(CA with acetic acid), cellulose propionate 

(CP with propionic acid) and cellulose butyrate 

(CB with butanoic acid). Mixed polymerisates, 

such as cellulose acetate propionate 

(CAP) can also be formed. One of the most 

well-known applications of cellulose aceto 

butyrate (CAB) is the moulded handle on the 

Swiss army knife [11] 

Cellulose acetate CA | → Cellulose ester 

CEN | Comité Européen de Normalisation 

(European organisation for standardization) 

Certification | is a process in which materials/products 

undergo a string of (laboratory) 

tests in order to verify that the fulfil certain 

requirements. Sound certification systems 

should be based on (ideally harmonised) European 

standards or technical specifications 

(e.g. by →CEN, USDA, ASTM, etc.) and be 

performed by independent third party laboratories. 

Successful certification guarantees 

a high product safety - also on this basis interconnected 

labels can be awarded that help 

the consumer to make an informed decision. 

Compost | A soil conditioning material of decomposing 

organic matter which provides nutrients 

and enhances soil structure. 

[bM 06/08, 02/09] 

Compostable Plastics | Plastics that are 

→ biodegradable under →composting conditions: 

specified humidity, temperature, 

→ microorganisms and timeframe. In order 

to make accurate and specific claims about 

compostability, the location (home, → industrial) 

and timeframe need to be specified [1]. 

Several national and international standards 

exist for clearer definitions, for example EN 

14995 Plastics - Evaluation of compostability - 

Test scheme and specifications. [bM 02/06, bM 01/07] 

Composting | is the controlled →aerobic, or 

oxygen-requiring, decomposition of organic 

materials by →microorganisms, under controlled 

conditions. It reduces the volume and 

mass of the raw materials while transforming 

them into CO 2 

, water and a valuable soil conditioner 

– compost. 

When talking about composting of bioplastics, 

foremost →industrial composting in a 

managed composting facility is meant (criteria 

defined in EN 13432). 

The main difference between industrial and 

home composting is, that in industrial composting 

facilities temperatures are much 

higher and kept stable, whereas in the composting 

pile temperatures are usually lower, 

and less constant as depending on factors 

such as weather conditions. Home composting 

is a way slower-paced process than 

industrial composting. Also a comparatively 

smaller volume of waste is involved. [bM 03/07] 

Compound | plastic mixture from different 

raw materials (polymer and additives) [bM 04/10) 

Copolymer | Plastic composed of different 

monomers. 

Cradle-to-Gate | Describes the system 

boundaries of an environmental →Life Cycle 

Assessment (LCA) which covers all activities 

from the cradle (i.e., the extraction of raw materials, 

agricultural activities and forestry) up 

to the factory gate 

Cradle-to-Cradle | (sometimes abbreviated 

as C2C): Is an expression which communicates 

the concept of a closed-cycle economy, 

in which waste is used as raw material 

(‘waste equals food’). Cradle-to-Cradle is not 

a term that is typically used in →LCA studies. 

Cradle-to-Grave | Describes the system 

boundaries of a full →Life Cycle Assessment 

from manufacture (cradle) to use phase and 

disposal phase (grave). 

Crystalline | Plastic with regularly arranged 

molecules in a lattice structure 

Density | Quotient from mass and volume of 

a material, also referred to as specific weight 

DIN | Deutsches Institut für Normung (German 

organisation for standardization) 

DIN-CERTCO | independant certifying organisation 

for the assessment on the conformity 

of bioplastics 

Dispersing | fine distribution of non-miscible 

liquids into a homogeneous, stable mixture 

Drop-In bioplastics | chemically indentical 

to conventional petroleum based plastics, 

but made from renewable resources. Examples 

are bio-PE made from bio-ethanol (from 

e.g. sugar cane) or partly biobased PET; the 

monoethylene glykol made from bio-ethanol 

(from e.g. sugar cane). Developments to 

make terephthalic acid from renewable resources 

are under way. Other examples are 

polyamides (partly biobased e.g. PA 4.10 or PA 

6.10 or fully biobased like PA 5.10 or PA10.10) 

EN 13432 | European standard for the assessment 

of the → compostability of plastic 

packaging products 

Energy recovery | recovery and exploitation 

of the energy potential in (plastic) waste for 

the production of electricity or heat in waste 

incineration pants (waste-to-energy) 

Environmental claim | A statement, symbol 

or graphic that indicates one or more environmental 

aspect(s) of a product, a component, 

packaging or a service. [16] 

Enzymes | proteins that catalyze chemical 

reactions 

Enzyme-mediated plastics | are no →bioplastics. 

Instead, a conventional non-biodegradable 

plastic (e.g. fossil-based PE) is enriched 

with small amounts of an organic additive. 

Microorganisms are supposed to consume 

these additives and the degradation process 

should then expand to the non-biodegradable 

PE and thus make the material degrade. After 

some time the plastic is supposed to visually 

disappear and to be completely converted to 

carbon dioxide and water. This is a theoretical 

concept which has not been backed up by 

any verifiable proof so far. Producers promote 

enzyme-mediated plastics as a solution to littering. 

As no proof for the degradation process 

has been provided, environmental beneficial 

effects are highly questionable. 

Ethylene | colour- and odourless gas, made 

e.g. from, Naphtha (petroleum) by cracking or 

from bio-ethanol by dehydration, monomer of 

the polymer polyethylene (PE) 

European Bioplastics e.V. | The industry association 

representing the interests of Europe’s 

thriving bioplastics’ industry. Founded 

in Germany in 1993 as IBAW, European 

Bioplastics today represents the interests 

of about 50 member companies throughout 

the European Union and worldwide. With 

members from the agricultural feedstock, 

chemical and plastics industries, as well as 

industrial users and recycling companies, European 

Bioplastics serves as both a contact 

platform and catalyst for advancing the aims 

of the growing bioplastics industry. 

Extrusion | process used to create plastic 

profiles (or sheet) of a fixed cross-section 

consisting of mixing, melting, homogenising 

and shaping of the plastic. 

FDCA | 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, an intermediate 

chemical produced from 5-HMF. 

The dicarboxylic acid can be used to make → 

PEF = polyethylene furanoate, a polyester that 

could be a 100% biobased alternative to PET. 

Fermentation | Biochemical reactions controlled 

by → microorganisms or → enyzmes (e.g. the 

transformation of sugar into lactic acid). 

FSC | Forest Stewardship Council. FSC is an 

independent, non-governmental, not-forprofit 

organization established to promote the 

responsible and sustainable management of 

the world’s forests. 


Basics 

Gelatine | Translucent brittle solid substance, 

colorless or slightly yellow, nearly tasteless 

and odorless, extracted from the collagen inside 

animals‘ connective tissue. 

Genetically modified organism (GMO) | 

Organisms, such as plants and animals, 

whose genetic material (DNA) has been altered 

are called genetically modified organisms 

(GMOs). Food and feed which contain 

or consist of such GMOs, or are produced 

from GMOs, are called genetically modified 

(GM) food or feed [1]. If GM crops are used 

in bioplastics production, the multiple-stage 

processing and the high heat used to create 

the polymer removes all traces of genetic 

material. This means that the final bioplastics 

product contains no genetic traces. The 

resulting bioplastics is therefore well suited 

to use in food packaging as it contains no genetically 

modified material and cannot interact 

with the contents. 

Global Warming | Global warming is the rise 

in the average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere 

and oceans since the late 19th century 

and its projected continuation [8]. Global 

warming is said to be accelerated by → green 

house gases. 

Glucose | Monosaccharide (or simple sugar). 

G. is the most important carbohydrate (sugar) 

in biology. G. is formed by photosynthesis or 

hydrolyse of many carbohydrates e. g. starch. 

Greenhouse gas GHG | Gaseous constituent 

of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, 

that absorbs and emits radiation at 

specific wavelengths within the spectrum of 

infrared radiation emitted by the earth’s surface, 

the atmosphere, and clouds [1, 9] 

Greenwashing | The act of misleading consumers 

regarding the environmental practices 

of a company, or the environmental benefits 

of a product or service [1, 10] 

Granulate, granules | small plastic particles 

(3-4 millimetres), a form in which plastic is 

sold and fed into machines, easy to handle 

and dose. 

HMF (5-HMF) | 5-hydroxymethylfurfural is an 

organic compound derived from sugar dehydration. 

It is a platform chemical, a building 

block for 20 performance polymers and over 

175 different chemical substances. The molecule 

consists of a furan ring which contains 

both aldehyde and alcohol functional groups. 

5-HMF has applications in many different 

industries such as bioplastics, packaging, 

pharmaceuticals, adhesives and chemicals. 

One of the most promising routes is 2,5 furandicarboxylic 

acid (FDCA), produced as an intermediate 

when 5-HMF is oxidised. FDCA is 

used to produce PEF, which can substitute 

terephthalic acid in polyester, especially polyethylene 

terephthalate (PET). [bM 03/14] 

Home composting | →composting [bM 06/08] 

Humus | In agriculture, humus is often used 

simply to mean mature →compost, or natural 

compost extracted from a forest or other 

spontaneous source for use to amend soil. 

Hydrophilic | Property: water-friendly, soluble 

in water or other polar solvents (e.g. used 

in conjunction with a plastic which is not water 

resistant and weather proof or that absorbs 

water such as Polyamide (PA). 

Hydrophobic | Property: water-resistant, not 

soluble in water (e.g. a plastic which is water 

resistant and weather proof, or that does not 

absorb any water such as Polyethylene (PE) 

or Polypropylene (PP). 

Industrial composting | is an established process 

with commonly agreed upon requirements 

(e.g. temperature, timeframe) for transforming 

biodegradable waste into stable, sanitised 

products to be used in agriculture. The criteria 

for industrial compostability of packaging have 

been defined in the EN 13432. Materials and 

products complying with this standard can be 

certified and subsequently labelled accordingly 

[1,7] [bM 06/08, 02/09] 

ISO | International Organization for Standardization 

JBPA | Japan Bioplastics Association 

Land use | The surface required to grow sufficient 

feedstock (land use) for today’s bioplastic 

production is less than 0.01 percent of the 

global agricultural area of 5 billion hectares. 

It is not yet foreseeable to what extent an increased 

use of food residues, non-food crops 

or cellulosic biomass (see also →1 st /2 nd /3 rd 

generation feedstock) in bioplastics production 

might lead to an even further reduced 

land use in the future [bM 04/09, 01/14] 

LCA | is the compilation and evaluation of the 

input, output and the potential environmental 

impact of a product system throughout its life 

cycle [17]. It is sometimes also referred to as 

life cycle analysis, ecobalance or cradle-tograve 

analysis. [bM 01/09] 

Littering | is the (illegal) act of leaving waste 

such as cigarette butts, paper, tins, bottles, 

cups, plates, cutlery or bags lying in an open 

or public place. 

Marine litter | Following the European Commission’s 

definition, “marine litter consists of 

items that have been deliberately discarded, 

unintentionally lost, or transported by winds 

and rivers, into the sea and on beaches. It 

mainly consists of plastics, wood, metals, 

glass, rubber, clothing and paper”. Marine 

debris originates from a variety of sources. 

Shipping and fishing activities are the predominant 

sea-based, ineffectively managed 

landfills as well as public littering the main 

land-based sources. Marine litter can pose a 

threat to living organisms, especially due to 

ingestion or entanglement. 

Currently, there is no international standard 

available, which appropriately describes the 

biodegradation of plastics in the marine environment. 

However, a number of standardisation 

projects are in progress at ISO and ASTM 

level. Furthermore, the European project 

OPEN BIO addresses the marine biodegradation 

of biobased products. 

Mass balance | describes the relationship between 

input and output of a specific substance 

within a system in which the output from the 

system cannot exceed the input into the system. 

First attempts were made by plastic raw material 

producers to claim their products renewable 

(plastics) based on a certain input 

of biomass in a huge and complex chemical 

plant, then mathematically allocating this 

biomass input to the produced plastic. 

These approaches are at least controversially 

disputed [bM 04/14, 05/14, 01/15] 

Microorganism | Living organisms of microscopic 

size, such as bacteria, funghi or yeast. 

Molecule | group of at least two atoms held 

together by covalent chemical bonds. 

Monomer | molecules that are linked by polymerization 

to form chains of molecules and 

then plastics 

Mulch film | Foil to cover bottom of farmland 

Organic recycling | means the treatment of 

separately collected organic waste by anaerobic 

digestion and/or composting. 

Oxo-degradable / Oxo-fragmentable | materials 

and products that do not biodegrade! 

The underlying technology of oxo-degradability 

or oxo-fragmentation is based on special additives, 

which, if incorporated into standard 

resins, are purported to accelerate the fragmentation 

of products made thereof. Oxodegradable 

or oxo-fragmentable materials do 

not meet accepted industry standards on compostability 

such as EN 13432. [bM 01/09, 05/09] 

PBAT | Polybutylene adipate terephthalate, is 

an aliphatic-aromatic copolyester that has the 

properties of conventional polyethylene but is 

fully biodegradable under industrial composting. 

PBAT is made from fossil petroleum with 

first attempts being made to produce it partly 

from renewable resources [bM 06/09] 

PBS | Polybutylene succinate, a 100% biodegradable 

polymer, made from (e.g. bio-BDO) 

and succinic acid, which can also be produced 

biobased [bM 03/12]. 

PC | Polycarbonate, thermoplastic polyester, 

petroleum based and not degradable, used 

for e.g. baby bottles or CDs. Criticized for its 

BPA (→ Bisphenol-A) content. 

PCL | Polycaprolactone, a synthetic (fossil 

based), biodegradable bioplastic, e.g. used as 

a blend component. 

PE | Polyethylene, thermoplastic polymerised 

from ethylene. Can be made from renewable 

resources (sugar cane via bio-ethanol) [bM 05/10] 

PEF | polyethylene furanoate, a polyester 

made from monoethylene glycol (MEG) and 

→FDCA (2,5-furandicarboxylic acid , an intermediate 

chemical produced from 5-HMF). It 

can be a 100% biobased alternative for PET. 

PEF also has improved product characteristics, 

such as better structural strength and 

improved barrier behaviour, which will allow 

for the use of PEF bottles in additional applications. 

[bM 03/11, 04/12] 

PET | Polyethylenterephthalate, transparent 

polyester used for bottles and film. The 

polyester is made from monoethylene glycol 

(MEG), that can be renewably sourced from 

bio-ethanol (sugar cane) and (until now fossil) 

terephthalic acid [bM 04/14] 

PGA | Polyglycolic acid or Polyglycolide is a biodegradable, 

thermoplastic polymer and the 

simplest linear, aliphatic polyester. Besides 

ist use in the biomedical field, PGA has been 

introduced as a barrier resin [bM 03/09] 

PHA | Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) or the 

polyhydroxy fatty acids, are a family of biodegradable 

polyesters. As in many mammals, 

including humans, that hold energy reserves 

in the form of body fat there are also bacteria 

that hold intracellular reserves in for of 

of polyhydroxy alkanoates. Here the microorganisms 

store a particularly high level of 


Basics 

energy reserves (up to 80% of their own body 

weight) for when their sources of nutrition become 

scarce. By farming this type of bacteria, 

and feeding them on sugar or starch (mostly 

from maize), or at times on plant oils or other 

nutrients rich in carbonates, it is possible to 

obtain PHA‘s on an industrial scale [11]. The 

most common types of PHA are PHB (Polyhydroxybutyrate, 

PHBV and PHBH. Depending 

on the bacteria and their food, PHAs with 

different mechanical properties, from rubbery 

soft trough stiff and hard as ABS, can be produced. 

Some PHSs are even biodegradable in 

soil or in a marine environment 

PLA | Polylactide or Polylactic Acid (PLA), a 

biodegradable, thermoplastic, linear aliphatic 

polyester based on lactic acid, a natural acid, 

is mainly produced by fermentation of sugar 

or starch with the help of micro-organisms. 

Lactic acid comes in two isomer forms, i.e. as 

laevorotatory D(-)lactic acid and as dextrorotary 

L(+)lactic acid. 

Modified PLA types can be produced by the 

use of the right additives or by certain combinations 

of L- and D- lactides (stereocomplexing), 

which then have the required rigidity for 

use at higher temperatures [13] [bM 01/09, 01/12] 

Plastics | Materials with large molecular 

chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced 

by chemical or biochemical reactions. 

PPC | Polypropylene Carbonate, a bioplastic 

made by copolymerizing CO 2 

with propylene 

oxide (PO) [bM 04/12] 

PTT | Polytrimethylterephthalate (PTT), partially 

biobased polyester, is similarly to PET 

produced using terephthalic acid or dimethyl 

terephthalate and a diol. In this case it is a 

biobased 1,3 propanediol, also known as bio- 

PDO [bM 01/13] 

Renewable Resources | agricultural raw materials, 

which are not used as food or feed, 

but as raw material for industrial products 

or to generate energy. The use of renewable 

resources by industry saves fossil resources 

and reduces the amount of → greenhouse gas 

emissions. Biobased plastics are predominantly 

made of annual crops such as corn, 

cereals and sugar beets or perennial cultures 

such as cassava and sugar cane. 

Resource efficiency | Use of limited natural 

resources in a sustainable way while minimising 

impacts on the environment. A resource 

efficient economy creates more output 

or value with lesser input. 

Seedling Logo | The compostability label or 

logo Seedling is connected to the standard 

EN 13432/EN 14995 and a certification process 

managed by the independent institutions 

→DIN CERTCO and → Vinçotte. Bioplastics 

products carrying the Seedling fulfil the criteria 

laid down in the EN 13432 regarding industrial 

compostability. [bM 01/06, 02/10] 

Saccharins or carbohydrates | Saccharins or 

carbohydrates are name for the sugar-family. 

Saccharins are monomer or polymer sugar 

units. For example, there are known mono-, 

di- and polysaccharose. → glucose is a monosaccarin. 

They are important for the diet and 

produced biology in plants. 

Semi-finished products | plastic in form of 

sheet, film, rods or the like to be further processed 

into finshed products 

Sorbitol | Sugar alcohol, obtained by reduction 

of glucose changing the aldehyde group 

to an additional hydroxyl group. S. is used as 

a plasticiser for bioplastics based on starch. 

Starch | Natural polymer (carbohydrate) 

consisting of → amylose and → amylopectin, 

gained from maize, potatoes, wheat, tapioca 

etc. When glucose is connected to polymerchains 

in definite way the result (product) is 

called starch. Each molecule is based on 300 

-12000-glucose units. Depending on the connection, 

there are two types → amylose and → 

amylopectin known. [bM 05/09] 

Starch derivatives | Starch derivatives are 

based on the chemical structure of → starch. 

The chemical structure can be changed by 

introducing new functional groups without 

changing the → starch polymer. The product 

has different chemical qualities. Mostly the 

hydrophilic character is not the same. 

Starch-ester | One characteristic of every 

starch-chain is a free hydroxyl group. When 

every hydroxyl group is connected with an 

acid one product is starch-ester with different 

chemical properties. 

Starch propionate and starch butyrate | 

Starch propionate and starch butyrate can be 

synthesised by treating the → starch with propane 

or butanic acid. The product structure 

is still based on → starch. Every based → glucose 

fragment is connected with a propionate 

or butyrate ester group. The product is more 

hydrophobic than → starch. 

Sustainable | An attempt to provide the best 

outcomes for the human and natural environments 

both now and into the indefinite future. 

One famous definition of sustainability is the 

one created by the Brundtland Commission, 

led by the former Norwegian Prime Minister 

G. H. Brundtland. The Brundtland Commission 

defined sustainable development as 

development that ‘meets the needs of the 

present without compromising the ability of 

future generations to meet their own needs.’ 

Sustainability relates to the continuity of economic, 

social, institutional and environmental 

aspects of human society, as well as the nonhuman 

environment). 

Sustainable sourcing | of renewable feedstock 

for biobased plastics is a prerequisite 

for more sustainable products. Impacts such 

as the deforestation of protected habitats 

or social and environmental damage arising 

from poor agricultural practices must 

be avoided. Corresponding certification 

schemes, such as ISCC PLUS, WLC or Bon- 

Sucro, are an appropriate tool to ensure the 

sustainable sourcing of biomass for all applications 

around the globe. 

Sustainability | as defined by European Bioplastics, 

has three dimensions: economic, social 

and environmental. This has been known 

as “the triple bottom line of sustainability”. 

This means that sustainable development involves 

the simultaneous pursuit of economic 

prosperity, environmental protection and social 

equity. In other words, businesses have 

to expand their responsibility to include these 

environmental and social dimensions. Sustainability 

is about making products useful to 

markets and, at the same time, having societal 

benefits and lower environmental impact 

than the alternatives currently available. It also 

implies a commitment to continuous improvement 

that should result in a further reduction 

of the environmental footprint of today’s products, 

processes and raw materials used. 

Thermoplastics | Plastics which soften or 

melt when heated and solidify when cooled 

(solid at room temperature). 

Thermoplastic Starch | (TPS) → starch that 

was modified (cooked, complexed) to make it 

a plastic resin 

Thermoset | Plastics (resins) which do not 

soften or melt when heated. Examples are 

epoxy resins or unsaturated polyester resins. 

Vinçotte | independant certifying organisation 

for the assessment on the conformity of bioplastics 

WPC | Wood Plastic Composite. Composite 

materials made of wood fiber/flour and plastics 

(mostly polypropylene). 

Yard Waste | Grass clippings, leaves, trimmings, 

garden residue. 

References: 

[1] Environmental Communication Guide, 

European Bioplastics, Berlin, Germany, 

2012 

[2] ISO 14067. Carbon footprint of products - 

Requirements and guidelines for quantification 

and communication 

[3] CEN TR 15932, Plastics - Recommendation 

for terminology and characterisation 

of biopolymers and bioplastics, 2010 

[4] CEN/TS 16137, Plastics - Determination 

of bio-based carbon content, 2011 

[5] ASTM D6866, Standard Test Methods for 

Determining the Biobased Content of 

Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples Using 

Radiocarbon Analysis 

[6] SPI: Understanding Biobased Carbon 

Content, 2012 

[7] EN 13432, Requirements for packaging 

recoverable through composting and biodegradation. 

Test scheme and evaluation 

criteria for the final acceptance of packaging, 

2000 

[8] Wikipedia 

[9] ISO 14064 Greenhouse gases -- Part 1: 

Specification with guidance..., 2006 

[10] Terrachoice, 2010, www.terrachoice.com 

[11] Thielen, M.: Bioplastics: Basics. Applications. 

Markets, Polymedia Publisher, 

2012 

[12] Lörcks, J.: Biokunststoffe, Broschüre der 

FNR, 2005 

[13] de Vos, S.: Improving heat-resistance of 

PLA using poly(D-lactide), 

bioplastics MAGAZINE, Vol. 3, Issue 02/2008 

[14] de Wilde, B.: Anaerobic Digestion, bioplastics 

MAGAZINE, Vol 4., Issue 06/2009 

[15] ISO 14067 onb Corbon Footprint of 

Products 

[16] ISO 14021 on Self-declared Environmental 

claims 

[17] ISO 14044 on Life Cycle Assessment 


Suppliers Guide 

1. Raw Materials 

AGRANA Starch 

Thermoplastics 

Conrathstrasse 7 

A-3950 Gmuend, Austria 

Tel: +43 676 8926 19374 

lukas.raschbauer@agrana.com 

www.agrana.com 

Jincheng, Lin‘an, Hangzhou, 

Zhejiang 311300, P.R. China 

China contact: Grace Jin 

mobile: 0086 135 7578 9843 

Grace@xinfupharm.com 

Europe contact(Belgium): Susan Zhang 

mobile: 0032 478 991619 

zxh0612@hotmail.com 

www.xinfupharm.com 

FKuR Kunststoff GmbH 

Siemensring 79 

D - 47 877 Willich 

Tel. +49 2154 9251-0 

Tel.: +49 2154 9251-51 

sales@fkur.com 

www.fkur.com 

39 mm 

Simply contact: 

Tel.: +49 2161 6884467 

suppguide@bioplasticsmagazine.com 

Stay permanently listed in the 

Suppliers Guide with your company 

logo and contact information. 

For only 6,– EUR per mm, per issue you 

can be present among top suppliers in 

the field of bioplastics. 

For Example: 

Polymedia Publisher GmbH 

Dammer Str. 112 

41066 Mönchengladbach 

Germany 

Tel. +49 2161 664864 

Fax +49 2161 631045 

info@bioplasticsmagazine.com 


Sample Charge: 

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The entry in our Suppliers Guide is 

bookable for one year (6 issues) and 

extends automatically if it’s not canceled 

three month before expiry. 

www.facebook.com 

www.issuu.com 

www.twitter.com 

www.youtube.com 

Showa Denko Europe GmbH 

Konrad-Zuse-Platz 4 

81829 Munich, Germany 

Tel.: +49 89 93996226 

www.showa-denko.com 

support@sde.de 

DuPont de Nemours International S.A. 

2 chemin du Pavillon 

1218 - Le Grand Saconnex 

Switzerland 

Tel.: +41 22 171 51 11 

Fax: +41 22 580 22 45 

plastics@dupont.com 

www.renewable.dupont.com 

www.plastics.dupont.com 

Tel: +86 351-8689356 

Fax: +86 351-8689718 

www.ecoworld.jinhuigroup.com 

ecoworldsales@jinhuigroup.com 

Evonik Industries AG 

Paul Baumann Straße 1 

45772 Marl, Germany 

Tel +49 2365 49-4717 

evonik-hp@evonik.com 

www.vestamid-terra.com 

www.evonik.com 

1.1 bio based monomers 

Corbion Purac 

Arkelsedijk 46, P.O. Box 21 

4200 AA Gorinchem - 

The Netherlands 

Tel.: +31 (0)183 695 695 

Fax: +31 (0)183 695 604 

www.corbion.com/bioplastics 

bioplastics@corbion.com 

62 136 Lestrem, France 

Tel.: + 33 (0) 3 21 63 36 00 

www.roquette-performance-plastics.com 

1.2 compounds 

API S.p.A. 

Via Dante Alighieri, 27 

36065 Mussolente (VI), Italy 

Telephone +39 0424 579711 

www.apiplastic.com 

www.apinatbio.com 

Kingfa Sci. & Tech. Co., Ltd. 

No.33 Kefeng Rd, Sc. City, Guangzhou 

Hi-Tech Ind. Development Zone, 

Guangdong, P.R. China. 510663 

Tel: +86 (0)20 6622 1696 

info@ecopond.com.cn 

www.ecopond.com.cn 

FLEX-162 Biodeg. Blown Film Resin! 

Bio-873 4-Star Inj. Bio-Based Resin! 

GRAFE-Group 

Waldecker Straße 21, 

99444 Blankenhain, Germany 

Tel. +49 36459 45 0 

www.grafe.com 

PolyOne 

Avenue Melville Wilson, 2 

Zoning de la Fagne 

5330 Assesse 

Belgium 

Tel.: + 32 83 660 211 

www.polyone.com 

WinGram Industry CO., LTD 

Great River(Qin Xin) 

Plastic Manufacturer CO., LTD 

Mobile (China): +86-13113833156 

Mobile (Hong Kong): +852-63078857 

Fax: +852-3184 8934 

Email: Benson@wingram.hk 

1.3 PLA 

Shenzhen Esun Ind. Co;Ltd 

www.brightcn.net 

www.esun.en.alibaba.com 

bright@brightcn.net 

Tel: +86-755-2603 1978 

1.4 starch-based bioplastics 

Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients 

ZAC „Les Portes de Riom“ - BP 173 

63204 Riom Cedex - France 

Tel. +33 (0)4 73 67 17 00 

Fax +33 (0)4 73 67 17 10 

www.biolice.com 



4. Bioplastics products 

BIOTEC 

Biologische Naturverpackungen 

Werner-Heisenberg-Strasse 32 

46446 Emmerich/Germany 

Tel.: +49 (0) 2822 – 92510 

info@biotec.de 

www.biotec.de 

Grabio Greentech Corporation 

Tel: +886-3-598-6496 

No. 91, Guangfu N. Rd., Hsinchu 

Industrial Park,Hukou Township, 

Hsinchu County 30351, Taiwan 

sales@grabio.com.tw 

www.grabio.com.tw 

Wuhan Huali 

Environmental Technology Co.,Ltd. 

No.8, North Huashiyuan Road, 

Donghu New Tech Development 

Zone, Wuhan, Hubei, China 

Tel: +86-27-87926666 

Fax: + 86-27-87925999 

rjh@psm.com.cn, www.psm.com.cn 

1.5 PHA 

PolyOne 

Avenue Melville Wilson, 2 

Zoning de la Fagne 

5330 Assesse 

Belgium 

Tel.: + 32 83 660 211 

www.polyone.com 

2. Additives/Secondary raw materials 

GRAFE-Group 



Tel. +49 36459 45 0 

www.grafe.com 

Rhein Chemie Rheinau GmbH 

Duesseldorfer Strasse 23-27 

68219 Mannheim, Germany 

Phone: +49 (0)621-8907-233 

Fax: +49 (0)621-8907-8233 

bioadimide.eu@rheinchemie.com 

www.bioadimide.com 

3. Semi finished products 

3.1 films 

Minima Technology Co., Ltd. 

Esmy Huang, Marketing Manager 

No.33. Yichang E. Rd., Taipin City, 

Taichung County 

411, Taiwan (R.O.C.) 

Tel. +886(4)2277 6888 

Fax +883(4)2277 6989 

Mobil +886(0)982-829988 

esmy@minima-tech.com 

Skype esmy325 

www.minima-tech.com 

Natur-Tec ® - Northern Technologies 

4201 Woodland Road 

Circle Pines, MN 55014 USA 

Tel. +1 763.404.8700 

Fax +1 763.225.6645 

info@natur-tec.com 

www.natur-tec.com 

NOVAMONT S.p.A. 

Via Fauser , 8 

28100 Novara - ITALIA 

Fax +39.0321.699.601 

Tel. +39.0321.699.611 


ProTec Polymer Processing GmbH 

Stubenwald-Allee 9 

64625 Bensheim, Deutschland 

Tel. +49 6251 77061 0 

Fax +49 6251 77061 500 

info@sp-protec.com 

www.sp-protec.com 

6.2 Laboratory Equipment 

MODA: Biodegradability Analyzer 

SAIDA FDS INC. 

143-10 Isshiki, Yaizu, 

Shizuoka,Japan 

Tel:+81-54-624-6260 

Info2@moda.vg 

www.saidagroup.jp 

7. Plant engineering 

EREMA Engineering Recycling 

Maschinen und Anlagen GmbH 

Unterfeldstrasse 3 

4052 Ansfelden, AUSTRIA 

Phone: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-0 

Fax: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-23 

erema@erema.at 

www.erema.at 

TianAn Biopolymer 

No. 68 Dagang 6th Rd, 

Beilun, Ningbo, China, 315800 

Tel. +86-57 48 68 62 50 2 

Fax +86-57 48 68 77 98 0 

enquiry@tianan-enmat.com 

www.tianan-enmat.com 

Metabolix, Inc. 

Bio-based and biodegradable resins 

and performance additives 

21 Erie Street 

Cambridge, MA 02139, USA 

US +1-617-583-1700 

DE +49 (0) 221 / 88 88 94 00 

www.metabolix.com 

info@metabolix.com 

1.6 masterbatches 

GRAFE-Group 



Tel. +49 36459 45 0 

www.grafe.com 

Infiana Germany GmbH & Co. KG 

Zweibrückenstraße 15-25 

91301 Forchheim 

Tel. +49-9191 81-0 

Fax +49-9191 81-212 

www.infiana.com 

Taghleef Industries SpA, Italy 

Via E. Fermi, 46 

33058 San Giorgio di Nogaro (UD) 

Contact Emanuela Bardi 

Tel. +39 0431 627264 

Mobile +39 342 6565309 

emanuela.bardi@ti-films.com 

www.ti-films.com 

President Packaging Ind., Corp. 

PLA Paper Hot Cup manufacture 

In Taiwan, www.ppi.com.tw 

Tel.: +886-6-570-4066 ext.5531 

Fax: +886-6-570-4077 

sales@ppi.com.tw 

6. Equipment 

6.1 Machinery & Molds 

Molds, Change Parts and Turnkey 

Solutions for the PET/Bioplastic 

Container Industry 

284 Pinebush Road 

Cambridge Ontario 

Canada N1T 1Z6 

Tel. +1 519 624 9720 

Fax +1 519 624 9721 

info@hallink.com 

www.hallink.com 

Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH 

Holzhauser Strasse 157–159 

D-13509 Berlin 

Tel. +49 30 43 567 5 

Fax +49 30 43 567 699 

sales.de@uhde-inventa-fischer.com 

Uhde Inventa-Fischer AG 

Via Innovativa 31 

CH-7013 Domat/Ems 

Tel. +41 81 632 63 11 

Fax +41 81 632 74 03 

sales.ch@uhde-inventa-fischer.com 

www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com 

9. Services 

Osterfelder Str. 3 

46047 Oberhausen 

Tel.: +49 (0)208 8598 1227 

Fax: +49 (0)208 8598 1424 

thomas.wodke@umsicht.fhg.de 

www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de 



Events 

Institut für Kunststofftechnik 

Universität Stuttgart 

Böblinger Straße 70 

70199 Stuttgart 

Tel +49 711/685-62814 

Linda.Goebel@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de 

www.ikt.uni-stuttgart.de 

narocon 

Dr. Harald Kaeb 

Tel.: +49 30-28096930 

kaeb@narocon.de 

www.narocon.de 

nova-Institut GmbH 

Chemiepark Knapsack 

Industriestrasse 300 

50354 Huerth, Germany 

Tel.: +49(0)2233-48-14 40 

E-Mail: contact@nova-institut.de 

www.biobased.eu 

Bioplastics Consulting 

Tel. +49 2161 664864 

info@polymediaconsult.com 

UL International TTC GmbH 

Rheinuferstrasse 7-9, Geb. R33 

47829 Krefeld-Uerdingen, Germany 

Tel.: +49 (0) 2151 5370-370 

Fax: +49 (0) 2151 5370-371 

ttc@ul.com 

www.ulttc.com 

10. Institutions 

10.2 Universities 

IfBB – Institute for Bioplastics 

and Biocomposites 

University of Applied Sciences 

and Arts Hanover 

Faculty II – Mechanical and 

Bioprocess Engineering 

Heisterbergallee 12 

30453 Hannover, Germany 

Tel.: +49 5 11 / 92 96 - 22 69 

Fax: +49 5 11 / 92 96 - 99 - 22 69 

lisa.mundzeck@fh-hannover.de 

http://www.ifbb-hannover.de/ 

Michigan State University 

Department of Chemical 

Engineering & Materials Science 

Professor Ramani Narayan 

East Lansing MI 48824, USA 

Tel. +1 517 719 7163 

narayan@msu.edu 

10.3 Other Institutions 

Biobased Packaging Innovations 

Caroli Buitenhuis 

IJburglaan 836 

1087 EM Amsterdam 

The Netherlands 

Tel.: +31 6-24216733 

http://www.biobasedpackaging.nl 

Event 

Calendar 

BiobasedWorld at Achema 2015 

15.06.2015 - 19.06.2015 - Frankfurt, Germany 

www.biobasedworld.de 

Biopolymers and Bioplastics 

10.08.2015 - 12.08.2015 - San Francisco (CA), USA 

http://biopolymers-bioplastics.conferenceseries.net/ 

ESBP2015 - 8 th European Symposium on Biopolymers 

16.09.2015 - 18.09.2015 - Rome, Itlay 

www.esbp2015.org 

bio!CAR: Biobased materials in 

Automotive Applications 

organized by bioplastics MAGAZINE and nova-Institute 

24 - 25 September 2015 - Stuttgart, Germany 


4 th Conference on Carbon Dioxide as Feedstock for 

Chemistry and Polymers 

29.09.2015 - 30.09.2015 - Essen, Germany 

http://co2-chemistry.eu 

10 th European Bioplastics Conference 

05.11.2015 - 06.11.2015 - Berlin, Germany 

www.european-bioplastics.org 

3 rd Biopolymers 2015 International Conference 

14.12.2015 - 16.12.2015 - Nantes, France 

https://colloque.inra.fr/biopolymers2015 

4 th PLA World Congress 

organized by bioplastics MAGAZINE 

May 2016 - Munich, Germany 

www.pla-world-congress.com 

You can meet us 

10.1 Associations 

BPI - The Biodegradable 

Products Institute 

331 West 57th Street, Suite 415 

New York, NY 10019, USA 

Tel. +1-888-274-5646 

info@bpiworld.org 

European Bioplastics e.V. 

Marienstr. 19/20 

10117 Berlin, Germany 

Tel. +49 30 284 82 350 

Fax +49 30 284 84 359 

info@european-bioplastics.org 

www.european-bioplastics.org 


The leading industry event focused on the production and manufacturing 

of auto-parts and components. 

Directed primarily to auto-part manufacturing and production engineers 

at OEMs and Tier-1/2/3 plants in Mexico. 

Organized by the leading Latin American publications Metalmecanica & 

Tecnologia del Plastico. 

August 

26-27 

2 0 1 5 

th 

4 Conference & Exhibition 

AUTOPARTS 

MANUFACTURING 

Queretaro Congress Center, Qro., Mexico 

Technical Conferences • Commercial Exhibitions • Networking Opportunities 

Sponsorship Sales: 

Daniel Céspedes, 

daniel.cespedes@carvajal.com 

USA: +1 (305) 448-6875 Ext. 15043 

Mex: +52 (55) 5093 0000 Ext.:15043 

Seminar Registrations: 

David Carreño, 

eventosb2b@carvajal.com 

Mex: +52 (55) 5093 0000 Ext. 47301 

USA: +1 (305) 448 6875 Ext. 47301 

Latam: +57 (1) 2 94 0874 Ext. 47301 

www.autopartmanufacturing.com 

S P E C I A L P A R T I C I P A N T S : 

CURRENT SPONSORS: Premium: 

Gold: 

With the support of: 

Organizers: 

Venue:

Companies in this issue 

Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert 

Agrana Starch Thermoplastics 51 

AIMPLAS 20 

Akro Plastic 16 

API 53 

Arkema 8 

AVK 8 

Basaltex 34 

BASF 10,24 

Bcomp 8,4 

Biobased Packaging Innovations 10 53 

Bio4life 10 

BIO-FED 16 

Bio-on 7 

Biotec 52 

BPI 53 

Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites 

Centexbel 34 

Cibra 28 

CJ CHEILJEDANG 26 

Coca-Cola 6 

Composites Evolution 8 

Corbion 10 51 

Danimer 22 

DSM 8,25 

DuPont 51 

EcoTechnilin 34 

Erema Plastic Recycling Systems 52 

European Bioplastics 10,44 53 

Evonik 51,55 

Extruline Systems 21 

Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe 

FNR 

FKuR 2, 51 

Ford Motor Company 8 

8,1 

Fraunhofer IAP 30 

23 

Fraunhofer UMSICHT 8 52 

Freundenberg Sealing Technologies 28 

Gevo 6 

Grabio Greentech 52 

Grafe 51,52 

GUANGZHOU BIOPLUS MATERIALS 26 

Hallink 52 

Holland Bioplastics 42 

Infiana Germany 52 

Innovia Films 10 

Inst. f. Textiltechnik RWTH Aachen 8 

Inst. Verb.Werks. Univ Kaiserlautern 8 

Institut for bioplastics & biocomposites 

(IfBB) 

8,14 53 

Jinhui Zhalolong 51 

Kingfa 51 

Kuraray 5 

Lanxess 28 

Leibniz Inst. Agr. Eng. 8 

Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients 51 

Lineo 8 

Lovechock 1, 12 

Meredian 22 

Metabolix 52 

Metzer Irrigation Systems 21 

MHG 22 

Michigan State University 53 

Minima Technology 52 

Moldes RP 17 

Nagase Chemtex 33 

narocon 53 

NatureWorks 6,8,18 

Natur-Tec 52 

NetComposites 34 

nova Institute 8,36 53 

Novamont 8,28 52, 56 

OWS 21 

Pizzoli 7 

Plantic 5 

polymediaconsult 53 

PolyOne 8 51,52 

PSM 52 

President Packaging 52 

ProTec Polymer Processing 52 

Prouddesign 12 

Reed Exhibitions 8 35 

Rhein Chemie 52 

Roechling Automotive 8 

ROQUETTE 51 

Saida 52 

SHENZHEN ESUN INDUSTRIAL 51 

Showa Denko 51 

Solazyme 29 

Solvay Epicerol 8 

Taghleef Industries 52 

Tecnaro 8 

Tetra Pak 10 

TianAn Biopolymer 52 

TransFuran Chemicals 8 

TWI 34 

Uhde Inventa-Fischer 52 

UL International TTC 53 

Univ Calif San Diego 29 

Univ. Stuttgart (IKT) 8 53 

Vincotte 5 

Virent 6 

Wageningen (WUR) 7 

WinGram 51 

ZAZA Bottles 28 

Zhejiang Hangzhou Xinfu Pharmaceutical 

51 

Editorial Planner 2015 

Issue 

Month 

Publ.- 

Date 

edit/ad/ 

Deadline 

Editorial Focus (1) Editorial Focus (2) Basics Fair Specials 

04/2015 Jul/Aug 03 Aug 15 03 Jul 15 Blow Moulding Bioplastics in Building 

& Construction 

05/2015 Sept/Oct 05 Oct 15 04 Sep 15 Fiber / Textile / Barrier Materials 

Nonwoven 

06/2015 Nov/Dec 07 Dec 15 06 Nov 15 Films / Flexibles / 

Bags 

Consumer & Office 

Electronics 

Foaming of 

Bioplastics 

Land use (update) 

Plastics from CO 2 

(Update) 

Magnetic 

for Plastics 

www.plasticker.com 

• International Trade 

in Raw Materials, Machinery & Products Free of Charge. 

• Daily News 

from the Industrial Sector and the Plastics Markets. 

• Current Market Prices 

for Plastics. 

• Buyer’s Guide 

for Plastics & Additives, Machinery & Equipment, Subcontractors 

and Services. 

• Job Market 

for Specialists and Executive Staff in the Plastics Industry. 

Up-to-date • Fast • Professional 


Green up your vehicle 

High performance naturally 

Biobased polyamides employed in automotive applications can improve the overall environmental 

sustainability of the transport sector. Typically used in under-the-hood applications requiring outstanding 

mechanical and physical properties, VESTAMID® Terra can be spread to a wider range of 

automotive components. Evonik offers a variety of technical longchain polyamides suchs as PA610, 

PA1010 and PA1012. They all share a similar to improved technical performance compared to 

conventional engineering polyamides while also having a significantly lower carbon footprint. 

www.vestamid-terra.com

A real sign 

of sustainable 

development. 

There is such a thing as genuinely sustainable 

development. 

Since 1989, Novamont researchers have been working 

on an ambitious project that combines the chemical 

industry, agriculture and the environment: “Living Chemistry 

for Quality of Life”. Its objective has been to create products 

with a low environmental impact. The result of Novamont’s 

innovative research is the new bioplastic Mater-Bi ® . 

Mater-Bi ® is a family of materials, completely biodegradable and compostable 

which contain renewable raw materials such as starch and vegetable oil 

derivates. Mater-Bi ® performs like traditional plastics but it saves energy, 

contributes to reducing the greenhouse effect and at the end of its life cycle, 

it closes the loop by changing into fertile humus. Everyone’s dream has 

become a reality. 

Living Chemistry for Quality of Life. 


Within Mater-Bi ® product range the following certifications are available 

284 

The “OK Compost” certificate guarantees conformity with the NF EN 13432 standard 

(biodegradable and compostable packaging) 

5_2014

Issue 03/2015

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