bioplasticsMAGAZINE_1101

ioplastics magazine Vol. 6 ISSN 1862-5258
Basics
Lignin | 54
Personality
Jim Lunt | 58
January / February
01 | 2011
Highlights
Automotive Applications | 20
Foam | 28
Cover-Story
‘Green Airbag‘ | 12
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Editorial
dear
readers
Issue number 25, well that’s only the first anniversary that we’re
celebrating this year. With our next issue, and physically at interpack
2011 in Düsseldorf, Germany in May, we will celebrate our fifth
birthday! We are already looking forward to it.
But before that next “mega event”, let’s take a look at this current
issue. Again our automotive issue brings you information on the
latest developments in this important market sector. It starts
with our cover-story on the airbag cover that was already briefly
introduced at K’2010. The second highlight is bioplastics foams.
From particle foams (or bead foams) to open cell PLA/PBAT foams
and PUR foams based on wood feedstock, we cover a broad range
of topics.
This issue features more rather ‘scientifically based’ articles than
previous issues. Some readers have asked for that, but please let
us know what you prefer… more scientific papers or more ‘market
oriented’ articles. At least we want to try to keep a good balance.
And then we have two new episodes in the never-ending story of
labels, marks and symbols. The USDA ‘BioPreferred’ programme
now offers a voluntary biobased label. At a recent conference a
delegate commented that this is all too complicated. As a matter of
fact the ‘Final Rule’ for this label, published in the Federal Register
is about 24000 words long (for comparison: The Ten Commandments
are about 300 words and the US Declaration of Independence
approx.. 1500 words…).
And then there is Cereplast, calling for design proposals for a new
bioplastics symbol in a public competition. What is your opinion
about this approach?
Enough food for thought …
Again, I hope you enjoy reading bioplastics MAGAZINE
Sincerely yours
Michael Thielen
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bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Content
Editorial 3
News 5
Application News 44
Event Calendar 59
Suppliers Guide 60
Coverstory
A Bio-Cover for the Airbag 12
Automotive
Development
of Biocomposites for Automotive Engineering 15
Automotive Bioplastics Design Challenge 16
Ecological Plastic for Toyota’s Sai 18
01|2011
Jan/Feb
Welcome to the Darker Side of Green 19
Biodegradable PLA/PC Copolymers for
Automotive Applications 20
Materials
BiopolymerComposites 22
based on Lignin and Cellulose
Bioplastics in Durable Goods 23
Vegetable Oil Based Plastics 24
Produced Loss-Free
Assessment of Life Cycle Studies 26
on Hemp Fibre Composites
Foam
Particle Foams from Thermoplastic Starch – 28
Waiting for Technology?
A Comparative LCA of Building 30
Insulation Products
Biodegradable Foams
Containing Recycled Cellulose 34
Biodegradable PLA/PBAT Foams 36
A Foam Veteran‘s View on Biopolymer Foam 39
Industrial Trials of E-PLA Foams 40
Look out for pines 42
From Science & Research
Biomaterials Based on Chitin and Chitosan 48
PLA Composites with Field Crop Residues 52
Basics
Basics of Lignin 54
Personality
Jim Lunt 58
Imprint
Publisher / Editorial
Dr. Michael Thielen
Samuel Brangenberg
Contributing editor:
Dr. Bettina Schnerr-Laube
Layout/Production
Mark Speckenbach, Julia Hunold
Head Office
Polymedia Publisher GmbH
Dammer Str. 112
41066 Mönchengladbach, Germany
phone: +49 (0)2161 664864
fax: +49 (0)2161 631045
info@bioplasticsmagazine.com
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com
Media Adviser
Elke Hoffmann, Caroline Motyka
phone: +49(0)2351-67100-0
fax: +49(0)2351-67100-10
eh@bioplasticsmagazine.com
Print
Tölkes Druck + Medien GmbH
47807 Krefeld, Germany
Total Print run: 4,000 copies
bioplastics magazine
ISSN 1862-5258
bioplastics magazine is published
6 times a year.
This publication is sent to qualified
subscribers (149 Euro for 6 issues).
bioplastics MAGAZINE is printed on
chlorine-free FSC certified paper.
bioplastics MAGAZINE is read
in 91 countries.
Not to be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher.
The fact that product names may not be
identified in our editorial as trade marks is
not an indication that such names are not
registered trade marks.
bioplastics MAGAZINE tries to use British
spelling. However, in articles based on
information from the USA, American
spelling may also be used.
Editorial contributions are always welcome.
Please contact the editorial office via
mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com.
Envelope
A certain number of copies of this issue
of bioplastics MAGAZINE is wrapped in a compostable
film sponsored by Minima Technology
Cover Ad
DuPont
Photo by Philipp Thielen
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6
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News
Demand For Degradable
Plastics to Grow Further
The degradable plastic industry has been on the verge
of commercial success for decades. However, demand
growth was limited because most degradable plastics were
too expensive, were unavailable in large enough quantities
or had performance drawbacks that limited them to niche
markets. This situation began to change in the early 2000s,
as interest in environmentally friendly products gained
strength, boosted by the efforts of major users like Wal-Mart.
At the same time, the availability of biodegradable plastics
increased significantly due to expansions by key producers.
These and other trends are presented in Degradable Plastics,
a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Clevelandbased
industry market research firm.
These positive trends are expected to continue. The
demand for degradable plastics in the USA alone is forecast
to rise 16.6% per year to 147,000 tonnes (325 million pounds)
in 2014, valued at US$380 million. Opportunities will reflect
continued capacity growth, efforts to reduce pollution and
US reliance on petroleum products, and consumer demand
for sustainable, environmentally friendly packaging and
manufactured goods. Polylactic acid (PLA) and starch-based
plastics currently dominate the market and both products are
expected to see strong growth. PLA will register the faster
gains, over 20% per year through 2014, due to increased
availability, greater processor familiarity and performance
enhancements that will expand potential applications.
Starch-based resins will benefit from the introduction of
improved resin grades, blending with other biopolymers
and an increasing number of suppliers. Opportunities are
expected in compostable yard and kitchen bags, foodservice
disposables and various types of packaging.
US degradable plastic demand (annual growth)
120,0%
100,0%
80,0%
60,0%
40,0%
20,0%
0,0%
14.4
16.6
Degradable Plastic
Demand
22.4
20.5
PLA
14.9
11.2
Starch based
4.6
4.6
Cellulose
2004-2009 2009-2014
9.6
9.6
Petroleum based
PHA
Other
The strong outlook for degradable plastics is
prompting the development of new products. One of
these is polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). While sales of PHA
were negligible in 2009, rapid growth over the next ten
years should boost the product up among the leading
types of degradable plastics. Growth is predicated on
significant capacity increases, competitive pricing and the
development of grades capable of replacing polyolefins in
higher performance injection molded articles as well as
in foodservice disposables, nonwovens, containers and
bottles.
The full report (202 pages, published 08/2010) is
available through the bioplastics MAGAZINE bookstore at
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com.
103.6
8.4
10.8
US degradable plastic demand
(recalculated to metric tons and rounded by bM)
160000
140000
120000
150000
2004 2009 2014
tonnes
100000
80000
60000
40000
20000
0
35000
68500
Degradable Plastic
Demand
9000
25000
PLA
63500
11300
22600
38500
Starch based
7200
9000
11000
Cellulose
5400
8600
13650
Petroleum based
0
450
PHA
15900
1800
2700
4500
Other
www.freedoniagroup.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

News
Ciao, Ciao, Plastic Bag
The Italians are said to account for more than a fifth of the
plastic bags used in Europe: the Italian environmental group
Legambiente estimates about 20 billion plastic bags per year
are used. But since the beginning of this year the use of plastic
bags has changed completely: A new law bans bags that are
not biodegradable and shop owners are instructed to use bags
made from cloth, paper or other biodegradable materials.
Environment Minister Stefania Prestigiacomo regards the
new law as great achievement - the mass of garbage can be
reduced, littering is less and the environment is improved in
general, she says. Existing stocks can continue to be used
without a fine being levied, but the shops will have to reorganize
their packaging.
With this decision Italy falls into line with some other
countries that ban or at least reduce the usage of plastic bags.
Surcharges on such bags are known for example in Belgium,
Germany or Ireland, a measure that cut the usage in some
countries by more than 50%. Other countries forbade very thin
plastics bags, as for example in China, Great Britain and South
Korea. Only few countries dared to ban plastic bags completely
so far. In 2003 South Africa started, Tanzania and Rwanda
followed, also pointing out the potential the death risk for
animals swallowing plastic bags or getting trapped in them. In
the U.S. the bans work on a local level. Since 2007 plastic bags
are banned in supermarkets and drug stores in San Francisco,
the first U.S. American city that introduced such a law. In the
meantime other cities followed. But Italy is definitely the first
European country to ban plastic bags completely.
The Italian law is based on a decision in December 2006 and
should have come into effect in January 2010. Intense opposition
by the industry delayed the law by a year. And the industry is
still opposed: The EuPC, the Trade Association representing
the European Plastics Converters based in Brussels, Belgium,
has complained to the European Commission. They regard the
Italian decision as a ‘short-sighted view’ and claim that the
ban ignores Europe’s existing Packaging and Packaging Waste
Directive. Furthermore the EuPC says that plastic packaging is
in fact perfectly well recyclable and reusable.
After all the plastics industry reached a turnover of about
800 million Euros per year with such plastic bags, according
to calculations by the Italian publication ‘il sole 24 ore’. They
further state that the reorganisation of the machines, in order to
produce new bag types, costs about 50,000 Euros per machine.
This fact, plus the forecast, that more and more people will
change for bags of their own, causes the industry to expect
some remarkable losses. In the end they fear the loss of jobs.
However, environmental organisations and the bioplastics
industry are pleased with the decision. Frederic Scheer, CEO
and Founder of Californian bioplastics manufacturer Cereplast,
attacks the argument of reusability in his blog: Only 45 minutes
is a plastic bag’s life, he writes; this means simply that it is
thrown away rather
than being used once
again. In contrast to
the usage time of a
plastic bag it takes
77 million years
to generate one
drop of fossil fuel,
he continues. Cem
Özdemir, politician
of the German Green
Party (Bündnis
90/Die Grünen)
recently said to
bioplastics MAGAZINE
that “we must find
alternatives, away
from oil and pollution
towards sustainability. A successive abolition of plastic bags
would be a simple but very effective initiative.”
For a long time plastic bags were seen as an alternative to
paper bags in order to save deforestation. But the wind has
changed, because of littering and the not-so-simple plastic
bag recycling. The Italian agricultural association Coldiretti has
stated that the production of plastic bags in Italy used around
430,000 tonnes of fossil oil. In addition they complain about the
long resistance of the material: once thrown away the bags take
either 400 years to decompose or they produce harmful gases
in incineration plants. Coldiretti points out that a hundred socalled
ecofriendly bio shopping bags can be produced with half
a kilo of maize or one kilo of sunflower oil. These bags are said
to be stable at least for half a year.
Consumers have varied reactions. Many of them (not only
in Italy) obviously feel good with the new law. In Austria the
news-portal www.nachrichten.at/umfrage asked in a web
based poll if plastic bags should be forbidden in Austria too.
An intermediate result (as per mid January) was that 76% of
the voters endorsed this approach and 21% were against it.
However some consumers nevertheless fear that other bags
won’t be stable enough and will be much more expensive. The
awareness that the ban is for real, and the alternatives for
customers, seem to be the key elements for the success of the
new law. BSL
www.eupc.org
www.coldiretti.it
http://cereplast.com/blog
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

News
PLA Compound with
Engineering Plastics
Properties
Purac from Gorinchem, The Netherlands has developed
a PLA compound with heat stability and impact strength
comparable to ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). This
material utilizes stereo-complex technology which is based
on Purac’s unique L-Lactide and D-Lactide monomers
for the second generation PLA. The new PLA compound
performs at a comparable level to ABS in injection moulding
applications.
“Purac’s L-Lactide and D-Lactide monomers now
create solutions for high value added applications. We
are proud that we have achieved this milestone, as it will
further enhance the application of PLA in semi-durables
and consumer goods”, says Dr. Kees Joziasse, Manager of
Purac’s Innovation Center for PLA.
Purac will continue to develop PLA applications for use
in automotive, electronics and electrical appliances together
with its technology and business partners in the bioplastics
value chain. These sustainable solutions are welcomed by
industrial stakeholders and consumers because of their
performance and eco-profile. Purac is currently building a
75,000 tonnes per year Lactide plant in Thailand which will
enable its partners to bring new products to the market. The
plant is scheduled to start production in the fourth quarter
of 2011.
www.purac.com
Erratum
We sincerely apologize, but in our latest issue (06/2010) we
mixed up two pictures. And since this is about oxo-degradable
bags, this is again more important to be corrected here.
On page 44
the two pictures
‘Samples 3 and 4’
(oxo) and ‘Samples
5 and 6’ have to be
exchanged. These
are the correct
captions:
Samples 3 and 4 Samples 5 and 6
Leading Industry
Event
End of last year, European Bioplastics organised its
industry conference already for the fifth time. On 1 and
2 December, over 360 experts from all around the globe
came together in Düsseldorf to exchange information
and insights about new bioplastic materials and
products. Hence, European Bioplastics was able to
tie in with the success of last year’s record-breaking
event.
“Despite the temporal proximity to other important
plastics events, the European Bioplastics Conference
has definitively established itself as the leading
business forum for the bioplastics industry”, said Andy
Sweetman, Chairman of European Bioplastics. This
year, more than 70 percent of the participants came
from Europe, almost 20 percent from Asia, and the
better part of the remaining 10 percent from North and
South America.
Besides numerous speeches focusing on new
products and applications for bioplastic materials,
28 exhibitors showcased a variety of their samples
at the conference. Many products introduced in the
presentations could be seen and examined at the
exhibition.
Another highlight of this year’s event was the
Bioplastics Award 2010, which was conferred for the
first time during the European Bioplastics Conference.
Presented by bioplastics MAGAZINE and European
Plastics News the 2010 award went to EconCore, a
company offering core technologies with regard to
cost efficient honeycomb panels and components. The
jury based its decision on the potential to considerably
reduce weight and materials needed in construction as
a result of the consistently applied sandwich structure
with its cost effective core. The products of EconCore
would contribute decisively to more sustainable
construction.
European Bioplastics’ Managing Director, Hasso
von Pogrell, was very satisfied with the course of the
conference: “The demand for exchanging information,
creating networks and forming cooperations obviously
increases with the opportunities offered. Our association
and the annual conference provide an optimal platform
to do so,” he concluded.
www.european-bioplastics.org
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

News
Production of Biodegradable
Film Doubled
Finnish packaging material producer Plastiroll Oy from
Ylöjärvi believes that biodegradable materials will become
increasingly common in the packaging industry. Therefore,
Plastiroll has invested in a new bio production line that came
on stream last autumn. The new line doubles the company’s
production capacity and supports an increased range of
products.
Plastiroll has produced biodegradable applications since
1997 and the new investment required the construction of an
extension to the existing film plant. About 1,400 square metres
of new production space was constructed with the total value
of the investment amounting to over four million euros. The
new plant follows Plastiroll’s principle of energy efficiency;
the heat generated in the production process is recovered and
used to heat the whole building.
Multilayer solution creates new opportunities
The new products are based on a multilayer solution in
which several biomaterials are combined. Kari Laukkanen,
Plastiroll’s managing director, explains that different layers
can be clear, opaque, black, coloured, slippery, sticky, matte,
shiny, etc. By combining the right mixtures it is possible to
create stronger products with a better tolerance of grease,
water vapour and gases.
Kari Laukkanen explains, “Before, we were only able to
produce so-called mono films and our ability to influence
their barrier properties was rather limited. Thanks to the new
production technology, we are now able to provide our clients
with more tailored solutions.” Laukkanen mentions completely
clear biodegradable film as an example.
The biodegradable nature of Plastiroll‘s packaging materials make
them highly suitable for fresh foods such as bakery and salads.
For the food industry, retail and farming
Biodegradable materials are best suited to products with a
short shelf life, such as bakery and vegetables.
Piia Heikkinen, Plastiroll’s export manager, confirms that
demand for new biodegradable materials has been keenest
within the food and farming industries. “For example, we have
had a new bread bag under development for years. With the
old technology, we couldn’t always meet the high standards of
the market. Today, however, the physical properties of our new
ecological biomaterials are no different from traditional plastic
films,” she says.
Plastiroll is one of the leading producers of biodegradable
films in Europe. In the Plastiroll product family, biodegradable
packaging materials belong to the Rock series. Plastiroll also
produces various other packaging materials. The Classic series
contains traditional polyethylene coatings and laminates. The
third series, called Jazz, consists of paper and cardboard
based compostable structures. Plastiroll has two production
plants, both located in Finland. Employing around 70 people,
the company has a turnover of around 25 million euros.
www.plastiroll.com
Novamont goes North America
www.novamont.com
Novamont S.p.A, based in Novara, Italy, expands its presence in North America with a new company Novamont North America,
Inc. headquartered in Danbury, Connecticut.
Novamont is an international company based in Italy, with operations across Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas.
Novamont has strongly contributed to the development of the composting industry in North America, including the formation of
the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI). “The North American composting market has grown significantly in the past decade,
and is now ready to make a big step forward due to higher environmental sensitivity, and increased attention on the economics
of waste diversion,” says Tony Gioffre, President of Novamont North America. Gioffre is the former President of BPI, and remains
active as a BPI board member.
Novamont considers North America to be a strategic area of development and will make significant investments to expand its
presence at all levels. The company’s objective is to build an integrated system of agriculture, industry and environment, applying
its innovative chemical technologies, fostering a model of truly Sustainable Development. This concept involves as a prospective a
biorefinery integrated in the North American territory, and full support of Novamont’s network of partners and stakeholders.
The formation of a legal American entity is a major step in Novamont’s strategic development plan in this area of the world, and
constitutes a step forward for the composting industry in North America. MT
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

News
Chinese PHA gets EU
Food Approval
The biodegradable, compostable plastic, ECOMANN PHA,
from Bioresins.eu was approved recently for use in contact
with foodstuffs under Commission Directive 2002/72/EC
(and its amendment 2007/19/EC). The EU seal of approval
enables the Buckinghamshire (UK) based supplier to more
actively pursue European food and drink manufacturers.
Reshaping an Industry
‘Bioplastics – Reshaping an Industry‘, organized by Jim
Lunt (Jim Lunt Associates LLC) and Yash Khanna (InnoPlast
Solutions, Inc) attracted no less than 220 delegates and
speakers from eleven countries (North America, Europe and
Asia) to Las Vegas on Feb. 2 and 3. In the Caesars Palace
Hotel, the conference was opened by a keynote speech of
Ed Thomas, Materials design Director, Global Apparel at
Nike sharing their point of view and activities in terms of
sustainability with the audience.
In the first session about the first generation of bioplastics
different presentations informed about meeting the challenge
for durable applications. This was followed by session two
about the next generation – durable bioplastics. It was about
the so-called drop-in biobased PE, PP, Polyamides, PTT,
TPE etc. that are not biodegradable, but meant for durable
applications.
A session about brand owners and investors perspectives
was opened by a speaker of Coca-Cola.
The second day started with a session on biobased building
blocks such as succinic acid, biobutanol or glucaric acid.
The conference ended with presentations about labeling and
regulatory issues. MT
www.reshapinganindustry.com
“The green light by the EU corroborates what we’ve already
discussed with major brand owners but it was good to get
official authorization from the SGS test house,” says Mike
Hughes, general manager of Bioresins.eu.
The versatile polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) is derived
from GM-free, non-food maize starch grown in China and
represents one of the best opportunities to date for large
volume packagers to include in their products up to 100%
sustainable content plus the potential to home compost.
ECOMANN PHA drew massive interest from brand owners
last fall at K2010.
www.bioresins.eu
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

News
‘Make Your Mark’ Competition
Bioplastics manufacturer Cereplast, Inc., from El Segundo, California, USA recently started a
design competition, ‘Make Your Mark,’ for a symbol that represents ‘bioplastics’. Initially starting to
be a symbol for Cereplast products only, this (yet another) new symbol shall indicate that a product
is made from ‘green’, bio-based material, not petroleum-based material.
“Cereplast‘s competition represents our commitment to educating and helping consumers make
smarter purchasing decisions that help preserve and protect our environment,“ said Frederic Scheer,
Chairman and CEO of Cereplast. “We want to build a bridge between consumers and companies
committed to a cleaner planet, and give consumers the option to choose more sustainable products.
We hope that this will create a strong element of consumer pull which will accelerate the pace of
bioplastic development globally. We strongly encourage forward-looking companies to join us in this
effort. And we would be happy to invite others to work along with us.
Companies are increasingly looking at bio-based plastics made from renewable resources like
corn, wheat, and algae as an alternative to petroleum-sourced plastics. The bioplastics symbol
will enable consumers to easily identify products made from bioplastics, similar to the globally
recognized recycling symbol.“
The ‘Make Your Mark’ bioplastics symbol contest is only open to legal residents of the United States.
“Simply for practical reasons,” as Nicole Cardi, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for
Cereplast explained to bioplastics MAGAZINE, “to make this an international contest, we would have to
hire law firms in every country. This would have made it very complicated. It’s not that we wouldn’t
value the potential designs that people from other countries would have submitted …”. The voting,
however, is open to anyone around the globe. Visit www.iizuu.com/cereplast, and use the ‘Contest’
tab to vote for a design.
Entrants are required to submit a symbol design that, when stamped on a product, will clearly
serve as an indication that the product is made from bio(based)plastics. This new symbol will serve
in a similar fashion to how the recycling symbol is used to identify products that are made from
recycled materials and/or are recyclable.
The symbol must be created to include three variations to symbolize the end of life options for the
product: a general bioplastics symbol; a version identifying compostability; and a version indicating
recyclability.
The deadline for ‘Make Your Mark’ design entries is March 4, 2011. The judges will select the top
three designs (from the publicly selected top 50) and the winner will be announced on Earth Day Eve,
April 21, 2011 in Los Angeles. The designer of the winning bioplastics symbol will receive $25,000.
“We could have hired a design firm to create a symbol for us, but we decided on the competition,”
said Nicole, “because this creates a much higher awareness of the whole subject of bioplastics.”
After the first announcement Cereplast received a lot of press inquiries from traditional media
focused on the general public – not only from the trade press. “The interest is tremendous and it
really creates awareness on the end consumer side,” she says. And Nicole added that Cereplast is
indeed planning to underline the whole initiative with end consumer communication, to educate the
public about alternatives to oil based plastics and how to identify them.
“And a number of top designs schools made this contest part of their curriculum, this makes the
students think about sustainability etc. Something they will take to their jobs after their exams.”
Being asked whether there are any plans to connect the symbol to any certification scheme,
such as the ASTM 6866 (biobased carbon content) and – within this context to any threshold below
which the symbol shall not be applied, Nicole explained: “Well, initially the symbol is just for us, for
Cereplast, our partners and our products. But eventually we shall think about the question of making
it available to others too, we haven’t decided yet. Then we will of course think about certification,
but not yet”.
www.iizuu.com/cereplast
At the website mentioned above, visitors can also see all previously submitted proposals as well
their ranking. We show just a few (without any rating or preference from our side). It’s a pity that the
contest is open for designers aged 18 and older only. Seven year old Jacob insisted that his father
uploaded his design proposal, see yourself… MT
10 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

USDA
Launches Biobased
Product Label
On January 19, 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture‘s
(USDA) ‘BioPreferred’ program announced that a final rule
to initiate a voluntary product certification and labeling
program for qualifying biobased products to be published
in the Federal Register [1] the day after. This new label
will clearly identify biobased products (including biobased
plastic products) made from renewable resources, and will
promote the increased sale and use of these products in the
commercial market and for consumers.
“Today‘s consumers are increasingly interested in making
educated purchasing choices for their families,“ said
Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. “This label
will make those decisions easier by identifying products as
biobased. These products have enormous potential to create
green jobs in rural communities, add value to agricultural
commodities, decrease environmental impacts, and reduce
our dependence on imported oil.“
Biobased products are those composed wholly or
significantly of biological ingredients – renewable plant,
animal, marine or forestry materials. The new label indicates
that the product has been certified to meet USDA standards
for a prescribed amount of biobased content. This can be
as low as 7% for carpets or as high as 95% for mulch and
compost materials [2]. For finished biobased products that
are not within the designated product categories (…), USDA
has lowered the applicable minimum biobased content (…)
to 25% percent [1].
With the launch of the USDA biobased product label,
the BioPreferred program is now comprised of two parts:
a biobased product procurement preference program for
Federal agencies, and a voluntary labeling initiative for the
broad-scale marketing of biobased products.
Through implementation of the BioPreferred program,
USDA has already designated approximately 5,100 biobased
products for preferred purchasing by Federal agencies. The
new label will make identification of these products easier
for Federal buyers, and will increase awareness of these
high-value products to consumers in other markets. USDA
estimates that there are 20,000 biobased products currently
being manufactured in the United States and that the growing
industry as a whole is responsible for over 100,000 jobs.
Biobased products include biobased plastic products, but
also other products such as detergents, cleaners, lubricants,
stationery (e.g. wooden pencils) and much more. MT
[1] www.biopreferred.gov/files/BP_Label_Final_Rule_01_20_11.pdf
[2] www.biopreferred.gov/files/BioPreferred_product_categories_
October_2010_FINAL.pdf
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 11

Coverstory
Finding of research project between Takata-Petri and DuPont: No
technical limitations to the use of renewably-sourced TPC-ET for the
production of airbag covers (development model pictured)
A Bio-Cover
for the Airbag
Article contributed by
Udo Gaumann, Takata-Petri, Aschaffenburg, Germany
Thomas Werner, DuPont, Neu-Isenburg, Germany
Table 1. Comparison of basic material properties of Hytrel DYM 250 and
its equivalent renewably-sourced grade of Hytrel RS
PROPERTY Testing method Unit Hytrel
DYM250S
BK497
Hytrel RS
renewablysourced
Melting point ISO 11357 °C 219 220
Melt flow rate ISO 1133
@ 2.15 kg/240 °C
g/10 min 15 16
Density ISO 1183 kg/m 3 1.16 1.16
Tensile properties @ 23 °C
ISO527 – 5A bar
Tensile strength MPa 20 20
Elongation at break % 365 375
Tensile modulus MPa 188 193
Tensile properties @ –40 °C
ISO527 – 5A bar
Tensile strength MPa 39 38
Elongation at break % 244 247
Tensile modulus MPa 440 406
Hardness, Shore D ISO 868 49 47
Charpy impact strength
ISO 179 1eA
@ 23 °C kJ/m 2 63 64
@ –40 °C kJ/m 2 76 72
Engineering polymers that are either partially or entirely
based on renewably-sourced raw materials
provide a fully-functional alternative to their fossilfuel
based counterparts. This is confirmed by testing conducted
by the tier 1 automotive supplier Takata-Petri AG in
cooperation with the material supplier DuPont on an airbag
cover made from a renewably-sourced grade of thermoplastic
elastomer.
In light of the automotive industry’s efforts to increase the
use of bio-based materials, Takata-Petri, a global leader
in the production of steering wheels and vehicle safety
systems, is actively seeking new alternatives to traditional
polymers. Within the area of airbag systems, it is the
airbag cover that lends itself the most to this challenge. It
brings with it a complex set of requirements, including the
requirement that it breaks open almost instantly when the
air bag inflates within milliseconds after an impact. For a
number of years the company has been using engineering
polymers from DuPont for this application. It is for this
reason that it also turned to the material producer for
assistance in its quest to find more environmentally-neutral
alternatives. Acting as a pioneer in this area, DuPont
currently offers the broadest range of renewably-sourced
engineering polymers. Takata-Petri’s requirements for any
potential replacement materials were clear: the properties
and processing performance should be at least equal to, if
not better than, those of the conventionally-used material.
Renewably-sourced TPC-ET as an
alternative?
DuPont was very early in its research into the use of
renewable resources as the basis for polymer production.
One result of this research was the commercialization as
early as K2007 of a series of renewably-sourced engineering
polymers including DuPont Hytrel ® RS (RS: Renewably
Sourced). This thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPC-
12 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Coverstory
ET) contains a renewably-sourced polyether diol as its
soft segment. The hard segments of Hytrel RS consist of
polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), as is the case with the
purely fossil-fuel based Hytrel.
Internal testing by the producer showed the material to have
comparable base properties to its conventionally-produced
counterpart. At the same time, Life Cycle Assessments
(LCA) revealed it to have considerably improved behavior with
regard to CO 2
emissions und the use of non-renewable energy.
DuPont therefore suggested that the polymer specialists at
Takata-Petri test the new Hytrel RS grade for its potential use
in airbag covers.
A ‘replica’ of Hytrel DYM 250
The airbag cover is a highly sensitive component for a
number of reasons. Not only must it meet exacting safety
requirements, but, as a visible component, it must also fulfill
the highest demands in terms of its surface appearance.
Amongst the safety aspects is the defined breaking open of the
airbag cover, within just a few fractions of a second, along the
designated, integrally-molded tear seams when the airbag is
deployed. When doing so, there should be no risk at all of any
fragments breaking off from the cover, even at the lowest of
ambient temperatures. For serial applications, Takata-Petri
uses the hitherto standard TPEs Hytrel DYM 250 or DYM 350,
which have been specially developed for this application to
exhibit a specifically optimized balance between stiffness and
low temperature ductility, yet differ, amongst others, with
regard to their e-modulus.
As part of the cooperation described in this article, DuPont
was able to modify a previously-developed grade of Hytrel RS
in such a way that it corresponds to the DYM 250 grade in
terms of its properties. Tests carried out at DuPont of the
basic mechanical properties revealed, even in this special
case, only a minimal difference between the conventional
and the new, renewably-sourced grade of Hytrel RS, which
is based on 35 % renewably-sourced content (table 1, images
1 and 2).
Proven practicality
Using the results of the standard material testing carried out
at DuPont as a basis, Takata-Petri was also able to establish a
match in those properties relevant to the application. Areas of
investigation included processability, paintability, outgassing
and behavior during airbag deployment.
Processing behavior during injection molding was largely
identical for both materials. Image 3 shows the pressure
versus time plots recorded at the nozzle tip during the timedistance-controlled
mold filling process (holding pressure:
pressure-controlled). At constant machine settings and the
same shot weight, there are almost identical curves, which
demonstrates that this Hytrel RS grade, in the eyes of the
processor, can be used without any problems as a drop-in
replacement product for the fossil-fuel based grade.
Image 1. The comparison of the shear stiffness of fossil-fuel based
and renewably-sourced Hytrel, dependent on testing temperature,
reveals an almost complete correlation.
Shear Stiffness [MPa]
10000
1000
100
Modulus Comparison
10
-100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
Temperature (°C)
Hytrel DYM250
Hytrel RS
Image 2. The comparison of the force versus time paths of fossil-fuel
based and renewably-sourced Hytrel during an instrumented impact
penetration test at –70 °C reveals no significant variations.
Force (N)
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
-1000
-2000
-3000
Instrumented impact penetration test @ -70°C
Hytrel DYM250
Hytrel RS
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Time (ms)
Image 3. The differences in the pressure versus time plots for the
fossil-fuel based and renewably-sourced Hytrel are within the
tolerance limits for charge fluctuations.
Pressure (bar)
1000
800
600
400
200
Hytrel DYM250
Hytrel RS
0
0 1 2 3 4 5
Time (s)
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 13

Coverstory
Image 4. The cover must break open in a defined
manner, without any form of flying particles and
should provide minimal resistance to the inflating
airbag. The renewably-sourced Hytrel was able to
fulfill these requirements in the same way as the
fossil-fuel based grade.
Image 5. Renewably-sourced Zytel RS
nylon is highly suitable as a material for the
production of airbag inflator retainers, for
instance.
Airbag deployment trials, carried out with these samples (Image 4) at 85 °C
and at –35 °C, also confirm the similarity of the two material grades: the opening
forces were the same, and the inflation times were within the OEM-specified
requirement of 3 to 5 ms in both cases. The tear lines were identical, and there
was no sign of any flying particles during testing of any of the covers made of
Hytrel RS, regardless of temperature.
Further testing at Takata-Petri investigated paint adhesion. A water-based
coating was applied to the sample parts under normal production conditions
before carrying out an assessment of their scratch resistance. Following
hydrolysis storage (72 h at 90 °C ± 2 °C and ≥ 96 % r. h.) there was no change in
terms of color and touch. The samples withstood the cross cut test according
to standard EN ISO 2409, and met requirements relating to scratch resistance
according to the VW standard PV 3952 with the outcome: no laceration of the
coating through to the substrate. A Takata-Petri boiling test also revealed no
changes in surface properties. A dimensional check was carried out following
the coating process. In both cases, the results were within the admissible
tolerances for the conventional Hytrel DYM 250 grade.
Successful trial of renewably-sourced nylon
On the basis of the unexceptionally positive test results of the airbag cover
made of renewably-sourced Hytrel, Takata-Petri is currently evaluating the
airbag inflator retainer as a further component within the airbag system where
a fossil-fuel based material could be replaced. To date it is produced using a
40 wt.% glass-fiber reinforced grade of nylon (PA) 6.
DuPont has also developed a special, renewably-sourced, glass-fiber
reinforced and impact-modified Zytel ® RS 1 ) for this application. It is able to at
least match the basic properties of the standard PA 6 grade in terms of stiffness,
impact resistance, strength, dimensional stability and warpage resistance, or,
in some cases, due to its lower moisture absorption compared to PA6, shows
even superior performance. As illustrated by tests carried out on sample
parts (Image 5) to date, the new, renewably-sourced PA is highly suitable for
the production of inflator retainers. It may also be assumed that the superior
mechanical properties associated with the advantages in moisture absorption
could possibly enable a further optimization of wall thickness.
1) The Zytel RS nylon family from DuPont includes products based on PA1010 and PA610
as well as their copolymers and blends with other polymers. Zytel RS consists up
to 98 % of plant-based raw materials. The basis for the raw material is provided in
most cases by sebacic acid, which is extracted from the castor-oil plant.
Our cover girl Claudia is ready to get behind the wheel of
renewably-sourced polymers.
“I had never thought about biobased plastics before, the
need for truly sustainable solutions is one of the most
important challenges today,” she says…
14 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Automotive
Development
of Biocomposites
for Automotive
Engineering
By
Stephan Kabasci
Pia Borelbach
Frauhofer UMSICHT
The European Research Project ECOplast is dedicated
to the research into novel biocomposite materials
based on renewable resources for applications in automotive
engineering. The project consortium incorporates 13
partners coming from 5 European countries and is led by the
Spanish Galician Automotive Technological Centre (CTAG).
An increasing ecological awareness along with new
legislation has boosted the demand for products with a high
ecological image. The automotive industry in particular has set
a target to improve its carbon balance, along with increasing
the use of biomaterials in automobiles. The characteristics of
bioplastics which are available nowadays have to be adapted
to meet the requirements of the automobile industry.
Within the framework of this 4 years ECOplast project,
researchers from science and industry are aiming to develop
novel thermoplastic biomass-based composites through the
conception and modulation of new molecular architectures
in polylactic acid (PLA), through the improvement of
polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) properties, adapting their structure
and nature to automotive specifications, and through the
synthesis of a new protein-based copolymer using silk-like
crystalline and elastine-like flexible blocks.
The technical performances of the developed base
biopolymers will be enhanced by means of addition of
natural fibres and wood based reinforcements modified to
guarantee optimal composite properties and processing, the
development of new fibrilar natural nanofillers to optimize
stability during processing, mechanical and thermal
resistance etc. and organic mineral fillers to minimize the
moisture absorbency and to improve dimensional stability.
Another important objective of the project will be the
adaptation of conventional processing techniques (polymers
compounding, injection moulding and thermoforming) and
other novel techniques to these new biocomposites. The
challenge here will be to overcome the problem of properties
distortion because of the extreme thermal conditions, the
moisture absorbency and the machine degradation due to
corrosion reactions and accelerated by the gases generated
inside the screw.
The main innovation in ECOplast project will be to find the
perfect equilibrium between the optimization of novel base
biopolymers, new fillers and fibres functionalization to reduce
deviations of base biopolymers from standards, and optimum
processing design to avoid the deterioration of mechanical
performances and to allow a wide processing window in
order to meet the automotive requirements.
The partners involved in the project are:
• Centro Tecnológico de Automoción de Galicia (CTAG), Spain
(coordinator)
• Asociación de Investigación de Materiales Plásticos y
Conexas – AIMPLAS, Spain
• PIEP Associação – Polo de Inovação em Engenharía de
Polímeros, Portugal
• Biomer, Germany
• FKuR Kunststoff GmbH, Germany
• Fraunhofer-Institut für Umwelt-, Sicherheits- und
Energietechnik UMSICHT, Germany
• Grupo Antolín – Ingeniería S.A., Spain
• Megatech Industries Amurrio S.L. (MEGATECH), Spain
• NanoBioMatters R&D (NMB), Spain
• Pallmann Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co, Germany
• PURAC, Netherlands
• University of Minho (UMINHO), Portugal
• VTT – Technical Research Centre of Finland, Finland
www.ecoplastproject.eu
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 15

Automotive
Automotive
Bioplastics
Design
Challenge
Article contributed by
Markus Götz
Biopolymers/Biomaterials Cluster
Executive cluster manager
BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg GmbH
Stuttgart, Germany
Nylon-5,10 - Ventilation nozzle for car interiors
(Photo: BIOPRO/Bächtle)
away from petrol and towards renewable
resources” – this sentence might sound simple,
“Turning
but its implementation is not nearly so simple.
Biomass does not benefit from the same level of subsidies
for material use as it does for energetic use nor is its material
use backed by legal regulations (e.g. biofuel quota act).
In certain market segments, biomass for material use also
faces huge obstacles when it comes to entering the market.
This is a particular issue in the field of bio-based plastics,
which only become marketable when their characteristics
are at least equal to those of their petrochemical counterparts.
‘Bioplastics Design Challenge’
A number of bio-based plastics with the required properties
are already available on the market. However, the end-user
sectors are still very cautious as far as the application of
bio-based materials is concerned since the switch from
fossil fuel-based production to biomass-based production
requires numerous changes to be put in place. In addition,
the adaptation to new processes is also associated with
high costs. However, predicted future developments make
it necessary to focus on the shift from fossil to biological
resources – not just because of the finiteness of fossil
resources. However, it is not enough just to focus on research
into the biotechnological implementation of biomass into
plastics components (monomers) and demonstrate its
feasibility. A lot more than this is required.
In order to support bioplastics on their rocky road to
marketability, the German Biopolymers/Biomaterials cluster
has initiated the ‘Bioplastics Design Challenge’ on behalf
of BIOPRO Baden-Württemberg GmbH, a 100% subsidiary
of the government of the German Federal State of Baden-
Württemberg. To facilitate the market introduction of biobased
materials, the ‘Bioplastics Design Challenge’ aims
to increase the plastics manufacturing industry and the
end user sectors’ awareness of sustainability as well as to
strengthen innovation dynamics.
Joint challenges to enable change
The ‘Bioplastics Design Challenge’ is not a competition in
the traditional sense, but is conceived as a joint challenge
whose goal is to facilitate the shift of plastics production
from fossil fuel-based materials to bio-based materials.
The challenge targets developers, designers, bioplastics
manufacturers and processors as well as all other interested
parties. Through the interaction of many actors along
the value creation chain, it will be possible to thoroughly
test the materials at a very early stage and facilitate their
early technical implementation. The ‘Bioplastics Design
Challenge’ will present numerous different biomaterials to
interested users and subsequently test them, taking into
16 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Automotive
account important aspects such as processability, surface
properties and ageing resistance, aspects that are not
frequently the targets of initial research, but which have a
crucial influence on the products’ marketability and market
potential. In return, the user sector will provide the bioplastics
producers with valuable information about the products’
expected market acceptance as well as feedback about the
biomaterials’ unexplored optimisation potentials. An annual
‘Theme Day’ will be held to promote wider public awareness
of bio-based materials and to illustrate the future application
of biomaterials in the individual application sectors.
The automotive sector in the ‘Bioplastics
Design Challenge’
The ‘Automotive Bioplastics Design Challenge – abdc’
initiated in summer 2010 represents the first of several
‘Bioplastics Design Challenges’. The one-year cooperation
will evaluate and further develop design aspects of
commercially available biomaterials and biomaterials under
development with regard to their suitability for automotive
sector applications. Users will be able to select materials
from a broad range of bioplastics and biomaterials for
component parts on the basis of technical and designrelated
decision criteria. Design samples and prototypes will
then be produced and the material will be evaluated in terms
of subsequent requirements with regard to the production of
serial products. The registration to ‘abdc’ is still possible.
Well over 100 individuals have already registered for
the ‘Automotive Bioplastics Design Challenge’, including
bioplastics manufacturers, automobile manufacturers, their
suppliers, engineering and design offices with an interest in
the automotive sector as well as design students. A webbased
partnering platform and partnering workshops will
support the establishment of project partnerships and the
collaboration between the participants. The platform offers
a comprehensive and clear overview of profiles, offers and
requests of all the actors involved, thereby enabling the
interactive development and implementation of project ideas.
In addition, the participants are able to provide platform
users with information on project ideas and experiences (with
regard to processability, technical suitability, design aspects,
etc.). The results of the ‘Automotive Bioplastics Design
Challenge’ will be presented at the upcoming ‘Bioplastics in
the automotive sector of the future’ theme day.
‘Bioplastics for automotive engineering of
the future’ theme day
The theme day will be held on June 10, 2011 in Stuttgart,
Germany. The public exhibition is part of ‘Automobile Summer
2011’, an event organised by the Baden-Württemberg
government to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the automobile.
The exhibition will give visitors an overview of biobased
materials used in the serial production of cars as well
as an outline of the history of bio-based car components.
The presentation of state-of-the-art bioplastics that are
close to entering serial production or that are currently in
development will be the highlight of the day.
If anyone owns such novel biomaterials or prototypes or
has access to historical or currently used bio-based car parts,
the organizers would be delighted if these could be made
available for exhibition on June 10, 2011. Providing exhibits
is not connected to participation in ‘abdc’. The submission
deadline for contributions will be April 6, 2011.
www.bio-pro.de/abdc/
abdc@bio-pro.de
This article is an excerpt from a more comprehensive article
in Biowerkstoff Report March 2011, published by nova-Institut,
Germany
Motor engine cooling fan and housing module made from
Nylon-5,10 (Photo: BIOPRO/Kindervater)
Nylon-5,10 - gas pedal (Product: Robert Bosch GmbH,
Photo: Philipp Thielen)
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 17

Automotive
(Photo: Mytho88 / Wikimedia)
Ecological
Plastic for
Toyota’s Sai
Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) continues to develop various
advanced environmental technologies aimed at producing vehicles
for a society where people live in harmony with the earth,
or ‘Sustainable mobility’.
Another key environmentally-friendly technology incorporated
in the Sai hybrid sedan in 2009 was a newly developed Ecological
plastic 1 to achieve exhaustive environmental performance. It is used
for approximately 60% of the total interior area.
Though the Sai uses more environmentally friendly plastic than any
other vehicle in the world, TMC believes that it is important to increase
the availability of such technologies in the marketplace and that the
ecological plastics can have a positive impact on the environment
only if they are widely used for mass production cars like the Sai.
Because plants play a role in either type, ecological plastic emits
approximately 30% less CO 2
during the product life cycle (from
manufacture to disposal) than plastic made solely from petroleum; it
also helps reduce petroleum use.
Table1 shows the ecological plastic in the Sai. This ecological
plastic adequately meets the heat-resistance and shock-resistance
demands of vehicle interiors through the use of various compounding
technologies, such as those allowing molecular-level bonding and
homogeneous mixing of plant-derived and petroleum-derived raw
materials. And being equal to conventional plastics in terms of quality
and productivity means that it can be used in production vehicles.
TMC became the first automaker in the world to use ecological
plastic for the spare tyre cover in interior parts when it launched
the Japanese market ‘Raum’ model in 2003 (see bM 01/2007). It was
also adopted for upholstery material such as roof head lining and
pillar cladding for the first time in the world in the Sai. TMC intends
to pursue research and development and practical applications that
result in the expanded use of ecological plastic in vehicle parts. MT
1 Ecological Plastic: The collective name of plastics developed by TMC for
automobiles and that use plant-derived material and are more heat- and
shock-resistant, etc., than conventional bio-plastics.
www.toyota.com
Table 1. Materials used in the Sai
Material kinds Where used Blended raw materials
Plant-derived Petroleum-derived Blending method
Injection molding
material
Scuff plates, cowl
side trims, finish
plate, tool box
Polylactic acid
(PLA)
Polypropylene (PP)
Finely dispersed
PLA within PP
Upholsterymaterial
(Knits)
Roof head lining,
sun visors, front
pillars, center
pillars, roof side
garnishes
Plant derived
polyester
Polyethylene
terephthalate(PET)
Blend fiber
(Photo: Tennen Gas / Wikimedia)
Upholsterymaterial
(Nonwovens)
Base material
Form material
Luggage door
trims, luggage
side trims
Door trims
Seat cushion
Polylactic acid
(PLA)
Polylactic
acid(PLA) and
Kenaf fiber
Polyol derived
from castor oil
Polyethylene
terephthalate(PET)
(Not used)
Polyol, isocyanate,
etc.
Blending PLA
fiber and PET
fiber
Bond the kenaf
fiber with PLA
Molecular level
blend
18 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Automotive
(Photos: Toyota / Lexus)
Welcome to the
Darker Side of
Green
Hybrids don’t always have to be about flowery,
sunshine-filled days in the park, says
the Lexus CT200h website. However, sunshine
is needed for the production of Toyota’s new
Bio-PET.
Last fall Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC)
announced plans to make vehicle liner material
and other interior surfaces from a new ‘Ecological
Plastic’ that features the world’s first use of bio-
PET. Starting with the luggage-compartment liner
in the Lexus CT200h scheduled to be introduced
this spring, TMC plans to increase both the number
of vehicle series featuring the new material, as well
as the amount of vehicle-interior area covered by it,
and intends to introduce a vehicle model in 2011 in
which Ecological Plastic will cover 80 percent of the
vehicle interior.
The epoch-making bio-PET-based Ecological
Plastic — developed with Toyota Tsusho Corporation
— is characterized by: enhanced performance, such
as heat-resistance, durability performance or shrink
resistance compared to conventional bio-plastics
and performance parity with petroleum-based PET.
Secondly bio-PET shall offer the potential to approach
the cost-per-part performance of petroleum-based
plastics through volume production. And last but not
least the it shall be used in seats and carpeting and
other interior components that require a high level
of performance unattainable by hitherto Ecological
Plastic.MT
www.lexus.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 19

Automotive
Biodegradable PLA/PC
Copolymers for
Automotive Applications
Article contributed by
Maurizio Penco, Arifur Rahman
University of Brescia
Steven Verstichel, Bruno De Wilde
Organic Waste Systems
Patrizia Cinelli, Andrea Lazzeri
University of Pisa
Figure 3: Micrographs showing morphology of
pure PLA/PC (20wt%PC) copolymer (a) and fibre
(30wt%) containing composites (b).
(a)
(b)
www.forbioplast.eu
www.unibs.it
www.ows.be
http://materials.diccism.unipi.it
With environmentally-friendly products becoming
the norm, research and development of biopolymers,
in addition to their versatile applications in
durables - particularly automotives, invoke high expectations
from the industry as well as consumers. However, we are yet
to witness a scenario where the production of biopolymers is
appropriate to the demand and their prices are competitive
with the petrochemical-based polymers. For instance, the
application of Poly(lactic acid) PLA and other biopolymers
in the automotive sector (especially interiors) requires the
products to meet the high quality standards of mechanical
strength, a low degree of degradation by sunlight, resistance
to abrasion, a high durability and a high thermal resistance.
Although PLA has certain limitations new materials and
modifying agents are expanding both its reach and applications.
Efforts are focused on boosting mechanical and thermal
properties so biopolymers can be effective alternatives
to less costly commodity materials.
Especially for automotive application a new biodegradable
copolymer has recently been patented: The copolymer is
based on Poly(lactic acid) and Polycarbonate (PC) and has
been developed within the Forbioplast project (No. KBBE-
212239), funded by the 7th Framework Programme of the
European Commission. The objective of the development
was to find a material for automotive applications that has
not only high thermal stability and high durability but is also
biodegradable.
PLA is a well-known biodegradable polymer that can be
produced from renewable resources such as corn. The other
component, PC, is a lightweight, high-performance material
that possesses a unique balance of toughness, dimensional
stability, optical clarity, high heat resistance and excellent
electrical resistance. The new material, having a segmented
copolymer structure (PLA-b-PC) has been prepared by
reactive melt mixing in the presence of a specific catalyst.
The presence of a segmented copolymer structure has been
observed by analysing the molar mass distribution in sizeexclusion
chromatography (Fig. 1).
A significant maintenance of mechanical strength across
the glass transition temperature (T g
) is an important concern
20 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Automotive
Figure 1: Molar mass distribution of PLA, PC and the copolymer.
for automotive materials. The PLA/PC copolymer indeed
showed good maintenance (in terms of storage modulus) at
high temperatures (Fig. 2a). Moreover, the addition of wood
fibres to the PLA/PC copolymer significantly improved the
mechanical properties (Fig. 2b).
It is important to note here that, among the different range
of compositions, the 20 wt% PC containing PLA/PC copolymer
exhibited significant improvement in overall mechanical
properties and 30 wt% fibre was incorporated into PLA/PC
copolymer to further improve its mechanical properties. The
morphology analysis (Fig. 3) shows a homogenous structure
in the PLA/PC copolymer and good interfacial adhesion
between PLA/PC copolymer matrix and wood fibres.
dw/cLog (M)
1.8
PC (Brabender 250°C)
PLA (Brabender 250°C)
1.6 PCcoPLA (50/50)
PLAcoPLA (50/50) 5% Cat
1.2
0.9
0.6
0.3
0.0
1.0E+03 1.0E+04 1.0E+05 1.0E+06
Molecular Weight (g/mol)
The PLA/PC copolymer has a multi-phase structure with
two glassy phases and one crystalline phase. Thermal
analysis reveals a higher melting point (170 °C) for the PLA/
PC copolymer in comparison with pure PLA (150 °C). The
presence of a second high T g
glassy phase increases the
heat distortion resistance in comparison with standard PLA.
The decrease of storage modulus above the glass transition
temperature of PLA is compensated by the PC segment in the
copolymer. Due to the presence of shorter PLA segments with
respect to the molar mass it is expected that the copolymer
produces high crystallization rates. The crystallization
kinetics of the PLA/PC copolymer is in fact much faster than
for PLA (copolymer: half time of crystallization t 1/2
= 5.5 min;
PLA: t 1/2
= 105 min). This can play a significant role in the
processing of this new material.
Storage Modulus (GPa)
3,5
3
2,5
2
1,5
1
0,5
0
Figure 2: Variation in storage modulus for different PC content
(wt%) in PLA/PC copolymer (a) and improved modulus for fibre
containing PLA/PC copolymer (20wt% of PC) (b).
(a)
0 10 20 30 40 45 50 60
PC Content (%)
Modulus at 60°C
modulus at room temperature
One of the most interesting characteristics of the new PLA/
PC copolymer is its degradability in composting facilities.
Preliminary results for PLA80/PC20 copolymer and PLA80/
PC20 with additional 20% fibre show complete degradation
after 110 days of controlled composting (ISO 14855). After
a phase lag of 20 days (typical for PLA) the biodegradation
began and reached an absolute biodegradation at a level
of 96.6% and 92.7%, respectively (Fig. 4). According to the
European standard EN 13432 on compostability of packaging,
a material fulfils the requirement on biodegradation when
the percentage of biodegradation is at least 90% in total or
90% of the maximum degradation of a suitable reference
item (e.g. cellulose) after a plateau has been reached for both
reference and test item within a test duration of 180 days.
Since pure PC is not biodegradable, copolymer blending with
PLA might provide a useful method for biodegrading postconsumer
recycled PC, when, after several reuses, material
degradation prevents further recycling.
The new class of biodegradable PLA/PC copolymer blends,
originally developed for lightweight components in automotive
applications and construction materials, may - as a result of
the findings - be used in a wide range of other applications
such as cell phones, portable electronics, medical devices,
sporting goods, toys and multiple use packaging, to name
just a few.
Storage Modulus (GPa)
Biodegradation (%)
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
(b)
0 20 30 40 50 60 70
Fibre Content (wt%)
Figure 4: Evolution of biodegradation of PLA80/PC20
and PLA80/PC20 reinforced with additional 20% fibre, in
comparison with pure cellulose and lignocellulose fibres.
Cellulose
PLA/PC (80/20)
PLA/PC (80/20) + 20% fibres
Fibre
-10
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110
Time (days)
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 21

Materials
The palm rest of the Fujitsu Eco-keypad is
injection molded by the German company
Amper-Plastik using 100% bio-based
ARBOFORM. This material is 100% biobased
and 100% biodegradable. Its haptics is
pleasant and warm.
edding 24 highlighter: Cap and barrel made from
ARBOFILL with 70% renewable resources
Biopolymer Composites
based on Lignin and Cellulose
Article contributed by
Lars Ziegler
Jürgen Pfitzer
Helmut Nägele
Benjamin Porter
Technaro GmbH
Isfeld-Auenstein
Germany
www.tecnaro.de
TECNARO is a producer of high-quality thermoplastics from renewable resources. One of
the main raw materials is lignin, which is the second most abundant natural polymer after
cellulose. More than 20 billion tons of lignin are created by photosynthesis each year in nature.
Lignin can be obtained as a by-product of the pulp and paper industry and the volume arising
worldwide is about 50 to 60 million tons per year. Lignin can be extracted also from wood bark or
straw (see comprehensive ‘basics’ article on pages 54ff)
Mixing lignin with natural fibres like e. g. flax, hemp, wood or other fibre plants and natural
additives produces thermoplastic composites. These granules made from 100% renewable
resources are marketed under the brand name ARBOFORM ® (arbor, Latin = the tree). A series of
granted patents led to the European Inventor Award 2010.
Arboform ® is sustainable, independent from crude oil, reduces environmental impacts and
offers new markets for agriculture and forestry business. It combines two big industrial sectors:
Wood industry can provide three dimensional parts in an economic way and plastics processors
can substitute their materials by an ecological alternative. It can be considered as ‘liquid wood’.
Arboblend ® is a family of 100% biodegradable blends of biopolymers like lignin or lignin
derivatives and/or other biopolymers like polylactic acid, polyhydroxyalkanoates, starch, natural
resins and waxes, cellulose, additives and natural fibers – depending on the grade. Its mechanical
properties are comparable to those of ABS.
Arbofill ® compounds are made from plastics and natural fibers like wood, hemp, flax, sisal,
bagasse from sugarcane, bamboo, coir fibre from coconut husk, etc. This combination offers
sustainable and aesthetical materials with good mechanical and thermal properties at very
competitive costs.
All products can be processed by injection moulding, extrusion, calendering, blow molding,
thermoforming or compression moulded into parts, semi-finished product, sheet, film or
profiles.
Today’s series applications can be found in toys, automotive, furniture, electronics, music
instruments, packaging, office, building and construction industries as well as in funeral business,
agriculture and forestry.
Bavarian State Forestry and the
designer Jochen Rümmelein are using
thermoformable ARBOBLEND for their forest
signs.
COZA bios line covers more than 40 different
household products are injection moulded
from ARBOFILL with FDA approval.
IMM and Sony: Loudspeakers made
from ARBOFORM. Excellent design
and optimized sound behavior due to
injection moulded free form geometries.
22 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Materials
Now, with its research, development, and application engineering
indicating a clear and concise path to market, a Nebraska
(USA) company, Laurel BioComposite, LLC, anticipates
commercial production of LignoMAXX to commence in 2012.
LignoMAXX, a resin extender based on lingo-cellulosic biobased
feedstock, can be blended in significant inclusion rates with both
thermoset and thermoplastic resins with the end product displaying
favorable characteristics in specific applications, such as being 11%
lighter weight and 11% stronger. These are excellent attributes for
products in the durable goods sector, such as construction elements
including shower walls, vanity tops, and related plastic goods, as
well as shipping pallets and automobile body panels. Additional
advantages for the manufacturer are its superior dispersion index
and its density modulus which can create more parts at the same
weight loading.
Higher inclusion rates, compared to simple biobased fillers, along
with the sequestering of carbon and displacement of crude oil, also
means that manufacturers utilizing LignoMAXX could find their
end products qualifying for the (US) Federal BioPreferred Program
or assisting them in becoming LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) certified.
Whereas nearly any type of ligno-cellulosic biomass can be
processed through the conversion technology being utilized, distillers
dried grains with solubles (DDGS) has been selected as the initial
feedstock.DDGS is readily available and abundant throughout central
United States, further assuring that the company will be able to
provide their product in consistent and adequately large quantities
to meet the volume requirements of the durable goods plastic
industry.
With over fourteen years of collective research and development,
Laurel BioComposite is ready to pursue the construction of its
Nebraska plant. The internal testing, as well as the commercial
testing performed by industry experts, indicates that LignoMAXX is
ready to add both value and sustainability to an ever-growing range
of biobased commercial products.
The patented process of converting ligno-cellulosic biomass into
a plastic resin enhancer was developed by LignoTech Limited of
Ashburton, New Zealand.Production involves processing cellulosic
material at a predetermined moisture and of a consistent size and
then subjecting it to a high pressure steam environment where the
plant-derived material undergoes a molecular change. The hydrolysis
products thus created, when repolymerised with heat and pressure,
form a strong, water-resistant matrix.
The process has been successfully demonstrated in a pilot plant,
in operation since the 1990‘s, utilizing DDGS sent there from three
different Nebraska ethanol facilities. Inital testing on the processed
material from the pilot plant was done at Scion, a New Zealand Crown
Research Institute and bio-material research facility.
Production in the first Laurel BioComposite plant is estimated to be
around 18,000 tonnes (40 million pounds) annually of the LignoMAXX
powder for thermoset applications, with future plants, already part of
the company’s expansion plan for 2013, producing both the powder
and LignoMAXX pellets for thermoplastic applications. MT
Bioplastics
in Durable
Goods
Shipping Pallet – 40% LignoMAXX
www.laurelbiocomposite.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 23

Materials
Vegetable Oil Based Plastics
– Produced Loss-Free
A
research group at the University of Konstanz, Germany, has developed a new approach to transforming fatty acids from
vegetable oils into monomers for the production of thermoplastics. Prof. Dr. Stefan Mecking, chair of Chemical Material
Science, explains the secret of the transformation like this: “Erucic acid and oleic acid both contain a reactive double
bond in the centre. Previous polymerization methods using this bond produced branched materials with an irregular structure
- barely useful for thermoplastics”. Alternatively, half of the molecule is “wasted” as a lateral chain. The development by his
assistant Dorothee Qinzler now manages to make the whole molecule, loss-free, available as a monomer backbone: “Her
method uses a catalytic method to let the double bond selectively shift to the end of the molecule where it is converted into an
ester group. Now both molecule ends have reactive ester groups ready to be polymerized”.
A characteristic of the new linear monomer is its ability to form plastics with a defined structure – in contrast to plastics
made of erucic or oleic acid without any preliminary changes. The new material type shows high melting points and a good
crystallinity and therefore it is well suited for thermoplastic processing. According to the scientists, the new polymer is best
comparable to polyethylene regarding its crystal structure. The scale-up of the reaction should be technically quite feasible.
Mecking says: “The reaction principles like carbonylation or polycondensation are already proven on a large industrial scale”. In
addition the basic material that Quinzler uses is by no means exotic or purely academic: Erucic acid and oleic acid are two lowcost
fatty acids available from a variety of sources, such as canola (rapeseed) or crambe. These plants can be grown in different
climatic regions and therefore would be appropriate for a lot of different countries, especially for those with very limited access
to raw materials such as crude oil or basic chemicals.
Quinzler and Mecking do not regard plastics from renewable resources as a universal problem-solver for raw material
supply. As Mecking states, even renewable resources are not available in unlimited quantity and quality but they do at least
contribute to the total required raw material supply. “In the same manner that we do not use one single energy source, we won’t
use one single raw materials source”, Mecking says. “We will always use a mix of resources, always using that resource which
is best suited to the application”. He points out that plastics cover a wide range of applications and therefore a wide range of
qualities – something one single type of plastic will never be able to provide. For that reason Mecking does not target specific
applications for the new material yet. “Currently we are in contact with the industry for future use of the material indeed, but
first we should carry out application trials to show for which application area the material has the best properties”. It is a
realistic guess to say that the material is biodegradable and so this topic is a further focus for the team.
The work in Konstanz has not ended yet. The group, grown in the meantime by three more assistants, wants to find out more
about the new materials and their properties and wants to refine the catalytic step in the reaction in order to improve the yield.
Even if some basic research is still needed, the current findings are very promising for future applications. BSL
www.chemie.uni-konstanz.de/agmeck/
Reaction principle: The fatty acid ester (above)
contains two reactive groups: An ester group
(blue) and a double bond (green). Using carbon
monoxide and methanol in the presence of a
catalyst, the double bond shifts to the end of
the molecule where it is transformed into an
ester group. This molecule with two reactive
ester groups (blue) now reacts to linear
polymers.
(source: University of Konstanz)
X=1 or 5
( ) x
( ) x
COOR
catalyst + CO + methanol
ROOC
COOR
polymer
24 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Materials
Assessment of Life
Cycle Studies
on Hemp Fibre Composites
GHG emissions in %: fossil- and hemp-based composites compared
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
hemp-based
composites,
accounted for
carbon storage
*: no information
available
Hemp fibre/PP vs.
GF/PP mat
Hemp fibre/PP vs.
GF composite
hemp-based
composites, not
accounted for
carbon storage
Hemp fibre/PP vs.
PP composite
Article contributed by
Juliane Haufe and Michael Carus
nova-Institut, Hürth, Germany
Hemp fibre/Epoxy
vs. ABS automotive
door panel
fossil-based
composites
1 2 3 4 5 6
* *
Hemp fibre/PTP
vs. GF/PES bus
exterior panel
Figure 1: GHG emissions expressed in percent for the production of
fossil-based and hemp-based composites for a number of studies
– where available showing the effects of biogenic carbon storage
(PTP: Polymer material made of Triglycerides and Polycarbon acid
anhydrides, PES: Polyester)
Hemp/PP vs.
GF/PP battery
tray
Hemp fibres are very suitable replacements for a variety
of fossil-based materials. In this study, hempbased
reinforced plastics are compared to non-renewable
materials like acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)
and glass fibre reinforced polypropylene (PP-GF) regarding
their environmental impacts on climate change and primary
energy use.
The analysed products are compared based on their
functionality. The assessment encompasses the extraction
of raw materials, where applicable the cultivation of crops,
the processing of materials and transports.
Hemp fibre reinforced plastics are materials that are
composed of a polymer and hemp fibres from which the
composite receives its stability. Hemp fibre reinforced
plastics are mainly used in the automobile industry for
interior, but also exterior, applications, and also for the
production of furniture or other consumer products. The
material shows favourable mechanical properties such as
rigidity and strength in combination with low density. The
material, moreover, does not splinter and leaves no sharp
edges (which is an important characteristic especially
in the case of automobile accidents). The majority of the
currently produced applications are manufactured using
thermoplastics and thermoset compression moulding for
which the natural fibre fleece and the polymer material are
heated and pressed. A wide range of natural fibre automobile
interior applications are produced in this way, including door
panels and car boot trims, rear shelf and roof liner panels,
dashboards, pillar trims, seat shells, under-bodies and
other parts. Another, currently less common, processing
technique is injection moulding which is expected to quickly
gain market shares in the near future.
Six of the LCA studies included in the analysis of hemp
fibre reinforced plastics are depicted in the chart. All of the
hemp fibre reinforced plastics examined show energy and
greenhouse gas (GHG) savings in comparison with their
fossil-based counterparts. The chart shows the considerable
savings that are achieved when the functionally-equal
hemp-based composites are used instead of fossil-based
composites. Because internationally no agreement has
yet been made on whether or not to include the storage of
biogenic carbon in product-based life cycle assessment,
both methods have been included in this study.
26 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Düsseldorf, Germany
12 – 18 May 2011
Therefore without accounting for biogenic carbon storage,
GHG savings range between 12 and 55%. When biogenic
carbon storage is taken into account savings between 28 and
74% can be reached.
Even larger savings can be reached: Because of the higher
density of glass fibres for example, a weight reduction of the
application can be achieved when hemp fibres are used. This
can result in considerable GHG and energy savings during
use.“ Also, hemp fibre reinforced plastics contain to a smaller
or larger extent fossil-based resources. In order to decrease
the use of fossil energy and mitigate GHG emissions, inputs
of fossil-based materials should be reduced as much as
possible or replaced by bio-based plastics. At the current
time those fully bio-based composites are only used in the
Japanese automotive industry.
Result: Hemp fibre reinforced plastics show considerable
energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) savings in comparison
with their fossil-based counterparts.
The full study ‘Hemp Fibres for Green Products – An
assessment of life cycle studies on hemp fibre applications’
will be available at www.eiha.org by March 2011.
WE DON’T HAVE
UNLIMITED
RESOURCES.
LET’S USE THEM
SENSIBLY.
Solutions ahead!
www.interpack.com
www.nova-institut.de
The study was financed by:
www.eiha.org
www.drbronner.com
www.hempflax.com
www.bafa-gmbh.de
Sources of information for the graph:
j Pervaiz, M. and M. M. Sain. 2003. Carbon storage potential
in natural fiber composites. Resources, Conservation and
Recycling 39:325-340.
k + l Boutin, M.-P., C. Flamin, S. Quinton, and G. Gosse. 2006.
Etude des caractéristiques environnementales du chanvre
par l’analyse de son cycle de vie. L‘ Institut National de la
Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Lille, France.
m Wötzel, K., R. Wirth, and M. Flake. 1999a. Life cycle studies
on hemp fibre reinforced components and ABS for automotive
parts. Die Angewandte Makromolekulare Chemie 272:121-127.
n Müssig, J., M. Schmehl, H. B. von Buttlar, U. Schönfeld, and
K. Arndt. 2006. Exterior components based on renewable
resources produced with SMC technology-Considering a bus
component as example. Industrial Crops and Products 24:132-
145.
o Magnani, M. 2010. Ford Motor Company‘s Sustainable
Materials. 3rd International Congress on Bio-based Plastics
and Composites, 21st of April 2010, Hannover, Germany
Messe Düsseldorf GmbH
Postfach 1010 06
40001 Düsseldorf
Germany
Tel. +49(0)211/45 60-01
Fax +49(0)211/45 60-6 68
www.messe-duesseldorf.de
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 27

Foam
Particle Foams from
Thermoplastic Starch –
Waiting for Technology?
Article contributed by
Robin Britton
Consultant and Part-Time
Lecturer at
Loughborough University, UK
TPS Loose Fill (iStockphoto)
Particle foam ,
generic picture, no TPS (iStockphoto)
Readers of bioplastics MAGAZINE will be familiar with thermoplastic
starch (TPS) materials and the various methods which have been
employed to render them more easily processed and water resistant,
though for some applications, their sensitivity to water is an advantage.
One such is the well-known loose fill packaging ‘beans’ or ‘chips’ and extruded
foam profiles, which have very low density, good cushioning power
and easy disposal, either by dissolution in water or by composting. In other
applications, where more durability is required, a greater degree of water
resistance is desirable.
There is a much larger market (several million tonnes per year) for lowdensity
moulded packaging ‘cushions’ which is currently dominated by
expanded polystyrene (EPS) particle foams – these low density beads are
easily moulded into quite complex shapes, but disposal after they have
served their protective purpose is a significant problem. EPS is widely
recycled, but collection and transport of used consumer packaging can be
so costly as to be uneconomic. Synbra Technology bv, with its BioFoam ®
development, is already addressing this issue (see pages 30ff), but could
there be an opportunity here for TPS?
EPS Protective Packaging
The conventional processes for expanding and moulding particle foams
rely on steam, a cheap and very controllable source of heat with a high
energy density. (See, for example, [1] for more detail.) In EPS manufacture,
millimetre-scale beads of polystyrene impregnated with a blowing agent
(usually pentane) are expanded in stirred vessels fed with steam at
controlled pressure and densities down to as low as 10 g/l can be achieved.
Once matured to stabilise the internal pressure, the ’prepuff’ beads are
fed into a mould and more steam piped in. This creates further expansion
and fuses the bead surfaces together to produce a strong moulded part.
Expanded polypropylene and polyethylene are expanded rather differently
because they retain blowing agents much less well, but are moulded in a
similar way to EPS.
From the point of view of current moulders of protective packaging, an
ideal ’green’ particle foam material would be a drop-in replacement for
EPS. That is, it should be delivered in a dense form, be expandable in their
existing steam expanders and moulded in their existing steam moulding
machines. Any changes will be seen as barriers to innovation, as they are
likely to add cost and require investment. Although the packaging industry
is aware that such an ideal material is unlikely to exist, and that barriers are
there to be surmounted, the smaller the adaptations required, the easier
will be the process of introduction of a new mouldable packaging particle
foam.
28 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Foam
Particle foams from TPS –
where is the technology today?
Water contained within thermoplastic starch beads is
used successfully as an environmentally friendly and cheap
blowing agent for packaging ’chips’ - when the material is
heated quickly enough, the water boils and foams the material
before it can be driven off. In order to make useful moulded
products, the challenge is to produce foamable beads which
can be easily moulded (fused), and also to improve the
durability of the moulded products. The steam which is the
heat source in EPS processing is the enemy here – it tends to
degrade or ’burn’ the pre-puffed TPS rather than expanding
and fusing the beads together.
The challenge of making expandable TPS which can be
moulded has been addressed in recent years, but so far
without commercial success. In 1998, a group from the
Institute for Agrotechnical Research at the University of
Wageningen in the Netherlands applied for a patent using
microwaves to expand and fuse starch beads in one step [2].
Their idea was to condition thermoplastic starch beads to a
water content around 15%, and coat them with a plasticiser
which could also act as an adhesive. The beads were then
placed in a non-metallic mould and heated in a microwave
oven – the water in the beads was thereby heated to produce
steam which expanded the beads and fused them, with the
help of the adhesive, to yield a moulded part. Although this
approach is clearly practicable, there is no record of the
patent being granted. With microwave heating technology
now considerably more advanced, this method would appear
worth revisiting – moulds must be non-metallic, and the oven
must be large enough to contain the products to be made but
neither issue should be an insuperable problem.
More recently, BASF took a different approach in a US patent
[3] applied for in 2003. Rather than using water as the blowing
agent, their method uses more conventional hydrocarbons
or alcohols as blowing agents (propane, butane, pentane,
methanol, ethanol, propanol). The thermoplastic starch is
also blended with a biodegradable copolyester (Ecoflex ® )
to give it more heat and moisture resistance. The blend
components are compounded together in an extruder, the
blowing agent injected into the barrel as a final step before
the material is pelletised under pressurised water (to prevent
expansion before the beads have cooled and solidified). These
beads, ready impregnated with the blowing agent, can later
be expanded and moulded in standard EPS equipment. The
proportions of copolyester to starch claimed in the patent
cover a wide range, from 1:9 to 9:1 – as the proportion of
starch is increased, the material becomes less expensive but
more water sensitive, less ductile and less easily processed
– the copolyester is a soft, flexible, biodegradable (but not
biobased) material. As with the Dutch microwave process
of [2], this technology does not yet appear to have been
successfully commercialized.
Yet another approach to making TPS foamable and
potentially mouldable was described by a group from the US
Agricultural Research Service in a paper of 2007 [4]. Their
blend formulations included, as well as water, sorbitol or
glycerol and ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) as a biodegradable
thermoplastic binder. The blends were extruded as pellets or
mixed together and milled to small particles, then expanded
by heating for 20 seconds or more at 190-210°C. Higher water
contents, up to 25%, meant lower expansion temperatures as
the material was more plasticised. The purpose of this study
was to assess how different types of starch and other additives
affected the foam density, so moulding of the expanded beads
was not attempted, but there seems no insuperable reason
why it should not be possible, using microwave or even steam
processes.
So what stands in the way of
TPS particle foams?
The key issues are the formulation of the material (selection
of the right balance of plasticisers, blowing agent and foam
nucleating agents, plus possibly waterproofing additions),
the optimization of the expansion process and development
or adaptation of the moulding process. Finally, of course, the
solutions found must also be economical for the purchasers of
protective packaging – a package is no more than a temporary
expedient to ensure that the more valuable product within it
reaches the end user in good condition, and as such is seen
as a cost to be minimized as far as possible.
The need to reduce the water sensitivity of thermoplastic
starch, in order to improve its processability and durability
has been addressed by a number of different companies in
recent years, though as yet no-one seems to have developed
particle foams. There is a wide range of blends using starch
and hydrocarbon-based polymers (for example the Mater-
Bi materials from Novamont), whose water resistance and
biodegradability can be tailored to fit both process and
application. It can only be a matter of time before such blends
are considered for use as particle foams, and practical
solutions found?
In conclusion, therefore, we can say that moulded foam
products based on starch are likely to become technically
feasible as development effort is applied. The protective
packaging market is both very large and ripe for more
sustainable alternatives to EPS, EPP and EPE, so we can
expect ‘market pull’ to bring new products forward in the
coming years - starch-based systems should be able to take
their share.
References:
[1] Britton, R.N.; Update on Mouldable Particle Foam Technology;
iSmithers 2009
[2] World Patent Application WO98/51466A1
[3] US Patent US657330308, 2003
[4] Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2007, 55 (10), p3936
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 29

Foam
A Comparative LCA of Building
Insulation Products
Synbra has together with the Sustainable Development
Group of AkzoNobel conducted an ex-ante Life Cycle
Assessment (LCA) of BioFoam production from lactide
produced from cane sugar in Thailand by Purac (Borén and
Synbra 2010). An LCA allows holistic and quantitative environmental
impact evaluations of economic systems, and facilitates
relating environmental impacts to a functional unit.
With the goal to probe which of the materials BioFoam ® ,
expanded polystyrene foam (EPS foam), polyurethane
foam (PUR foam) and mineral wool (as produced today
under average European conditions) that are most often
used as thermal insulation products for buildings from
an environmental point of view, a comparative life cycle
assessment (LCA) of these materials has been performed by
AkzoNobel. This model has been made to supply prospective
customers a full LCA on their particular application and to
compare it with insulants when used in insulation and with
EPS cardboard when used as packaging. This is subject of
another comparison.
BioFoam; is a polylactic acid based foam material that can
be used as an alternative to traditional insulation materials.
It has passed stringent stability tests on fire resistance
moisture resistance, fungus resistance and attack by pests
such as termites see cadre 2 and at use temperatures below
60°C does not degrade to any significant extend even after
many years of exposure.
The functional unit of this LCA is the thermal resistance of
5 m 2 •K/W and the following environmental aspects are
assessed: renewable and non-renewable energy use,
abiotic resource depletion, global warming, acidification,
photochemical oxidant formation, eutrophication and
farm land use. The study focuses on the insulating and
environmental properties of the insulation products per se,
and the studied system includes the production, delivery
and disposal (incineration with or without energy recovery,
landfill with or without energy recovery, industrial composting
or recycling) of the insulation products. The delivery and
disposal is modelled for average European conditions. An
external critical review has been carried out to validate that
the methodology, data, interpretation and report of this LCA
complies with the ISO 14040 standard series.
PUR foam and mineral wool as produced under average
European conditions. It has been performed according to the
ISO standards on LCA (ISO 14040 and 14044). The focus is
on the production and disposal (recycling, incineration with
or without energy recovery and composting) of the materials.
Figure 1 presents a simplified flowchart of the studied system
of this LCA. As the study focuses on the environmental
properties of the insulation products per se, the application
and use stages are excluded, and no regard is taken to
situations which impose different demands concerning
ancillary material and energy inputs in the application and
future demolition and disassembly of insulated buildings,
and it is noted that the conclusions may not be valid for such
situations.
The system boundaries are defined by a system expansion
approach as recommended by the ISO standards, meaning
that only the activities affected by an additional demand
of insulation product are included. This approach is best
combined with marginal production data, however the
difference between marginal and average production data
for the activities in scope of this assessment is considered
to be minor and therefore average production data has been
applied for all activities for reasons of practicality. With regard
to technical and temporal boundaries all industrial activities
are modeled as if they would take place today within the
current infrastructure. The application, use and final disposal
of the insulation products is accounted for to take place in
Europe. Where applicable average European LCA data has
been applied for these activities.
The functional unit is defined in the ISO 14040 standard as
‘the quantified performance of a product system for use as
a reference unit in a life cycle assessment study’. The key
performance aspect of thermal insulation products is that they
are used for limiting the transfer, or conduction, of thermal
energy, or heat. Thermal resistance, R, is the resistance of a
material to the conduction of thermal energy, and is a measure
of a material’s insulating capacity. According to Schmidt et al.
(2004) the thermal resistance measured in m 2 •K/W has been
generally accepted as an adequate functional unit for LCAs
of thermal insulation products. In this LCA the materials are
compared on the basis of 1 m 2 of insulating material with an
insulating capacity/thermal resistance of 5 m 2 •K/W.
30 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Foam
Article contributed by
Jan Noordegraaf
Peter Matthijssen
Jürgen de Jong
Peter de Loose
Synbra Technology bv
Etten Leur, The Netherlands.
The mass of an insulation product, m, required to achieve a
certain thermal resistance can be defined according to:
m = R • λ • ρ • A (1)
Where R is the material’s thermal resistance 5 m 2 •K/W; λ is
the material’s thermal conductivity (the property of a material
that indicates its ability to conduct heat) measured as
W/(m • K); ρ is the material’s density measured as kg/m 3 ; A is
the area in m 2 , here 1 m 2 ; K is degree Kelvin; W is Watt.
Based on this formula the mass of the studied materials that
must be installed in order to achieve the functional unit, i.e.
a thermal resistance of 5 m 2 •K/W, can be calculated (table 1).
Knowing the mass and the area, the associated thickness, t,
in cm, of the insulating product can also be calculated.
Table 1. Properties of the studied materials
Material λ (mW/m • K) ρ (kg/m 3 ) m (kg/F.U.) t (cm)
BioFoam 36 20 3,6 18
EPS Foam 36 20 3,6 18
PUR Foam 26 40 5,2 13
Rock Wool 42 120 25,2 21
Table 2 and 3 presents the cradle-to-gate results for the
production of the insulation products from 100% primary raw
materials. Note that the CO 2
sequestration associated with
the cultivation of sugar cane for PLA production is accounted
for, see cadre1.
Table 2. Results for the production of 1 kg of the insulation products
BioFoam EPS Foam PUR Foam MWool
Non-Renewable Energy Use (gross calorific value) (MJ) 62 116 102 27
Renewable Energy Use (gross calorific value) (MJ) 56 1.0 1.5 2.7
Abiotic Resource Depletion (kg Crude Oil-Equiv.) 1.3 2.4 2.1 0.6
Global Warming Potential (GWP 100 yrs)(kg CO 2
-Equiv.) 2.2 4.6 4.2 1.6
Acidification Potential (kg SO 2
-Equiv.) 0.028 0.012 0.017 0.009
Photochem. Oxidant Formation (kg Ethene-Equiv.) 0.0028 0.011 0.0019 0.0008
Eutrophication Potential (kg Phosphate-Equiv.) 0.013 0.0013 0.0031 0.0011
Farm Land Use (m 2 /yr) 2.1 - - 0.4
Table 3. Results for the production of the amounts of the insulation products needed to fulfil
the functional unit (see table 1) Land use due to farm land resp. wood use in transport pallets
BioFoam EPS Foam PUR Foam MWool
Non-Renewable Energy Use (gross calorific value) (MJ) 222 418 529 687
Renewable Energy Use (gross calorific value) (MJ) 202 3 8 69
Abiotic Resource Depletion (kg Crude Oil-Equiv.) 4.6 8.7 10.6 13.9
Global Warming Potential (GWP 100 yrs)(kg CO 2
-Equiv.) 8.1 16.6 21.8 41.3
Acidification Potential (kg SO 2
-Equiv.) 0.10 0.04 0.09 0.22
Photochem. Oxidant Formation (kg Ethene-Equiv.) 0.010 0.039 0.010 0.020
Eutrophication Potential (kg Phosphate-Equiv.) 0.045 0.005 0.016 0.029
Farm Land Use (m 2 /yr) 7.6 0.013 - 9.8
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 31

Foam
With regard to recycling, the efficiency and use of take back
schemes determines the recycling rate, and as of now there
are apart for EPS no comprehensive take back schemes in
place for most of the insulation products. From the results
section it is evident that recycling should be pursued for
environmental impact mitigation and that high recycling rates
significantly reduce the environmental impact of BioFoam
and EPS foam; a consequence of reduced demand for virgin
lactide and expandable polystyrene. Whereas efficiency
improvements of energy recovery from waste mainly achieves
significant reductions for non-renewable energy use, abiotic
resource depletion and global warming potential, improved
recycling rates result in significant impact reductions in all
impact categories.
The study demonstrates that an LCA provides an adequate
analytical framework for the quantitative comparison
of insulation products from an environmental impact
perspective. The following aspects have been identified as key
with regard to the environmental performance of insulation
products:
• Insulating properties determining the material amounts
required to achieve the insulating capacity
• The environmental impact associated with the production
of the insulation products
• Post consumer treatment of the insulation products
It is clear that one insulation product cannot be unambiguously
classified as the most environmentally benign
alternative, as this depends on the relevance assigned to the
different environmental impact categories.
However, considering only non-renewable energy use,
abiotic resource depletion and global warming potential the
insulation products can in general be ranked, starting with
the most favourable alternatives, in the following order:
BioFoam, EPS foam, PUR foam and mineral wool. It is
evident that BioFoam can be recommended for insulation as
an alternative to the other insulation products for reducing
impact on climate change and dependence on fossil resources
and for promoting the use of local and renewable resources.
Other key observations are:
• BioFoam has the highest eutrophication potential and
renewable energy demand, the second highest acidification
potential and requires use of farm land.
• BioFoam and PUR foam have the lowest photochemical
oxidant formation potentials.
• EPS foam has the lowest contribution to acidification,
however the highest contribution to photochemical oxidant
formation.
• Mineral wool performs worst in 4 out of 8 impact categories,
and not well in any impact category, due to that significantly
more material is needed relative the other insulation
products and has a significant land use related to mining.
• With regard to post consumer treatment BioFoam is the
most flexible product, and is the only product which may be
deliberately composted
• Recycling of EPS foam and BioFoam into new insulation
products leads to significant environmental impact
reduction and should in general be pursued to the extent
possible. This is very difficult for PUR foam and Mineral
wool which mostly are incinerated or end up in landfill
respectively.
Cadre 1
LCA results Cradle-to-gate impacts of 1 kg
lactide based PLA which is the amount of PLA
needed to produce 1 kg of BioFoam using the
Purac Sulzer polymerisation process.
Cadre 2
Critical test passed by BioFoam
Unit
Non-Renewable
Energy Use
Renewable Energy
Use
Resources
Carbon Footprint incl
CO 2
sequestering
Acidification
Photochemical
Oxidant Formation
Eutrophication
Lactide based PLA needed for
BioFoam
38,642 MJ
55,763 MJ
0,79534 kg Crude Oil-Equiv.
0,9488 kg CO 2
-Equiv.
0,026551 kg SO 2
-Equiv.
0,0025805 kg Ethene-Equiv.
0,012426 kg Phosphate-Equiv.
Flame retardant
properties
Flame retardant
properties
Fire propagation
properties
Termite and pest
control
EN 11925-
2:2002
DIN 4102-1
ECE R44/02
EN 117/118
Meets Euroclass E for 30-40kg/m3
Test report R0529 Effectis (TNO)
dd 22-4-2010
Meets all the requirement of class B2
No after burning observed.
Tested in line with the automotive directive.
TNO Effectis October 2009
Suitable for automotive usage
High and Low density samples not attacked by termites, BioFoam
is not a digestible feedstock
Report TNO Delft 22-7-2010
Other properties ISPM 15 No fungi, bacteria, splinters, rusty nails
Hygienic, suitable for export without additional treatments
Mould formation ISO 4833 Aerob mesofil colony forming units < 50 CFU after 3 weeks ,
better than EPS. Determined by Siliker Food safety and Quality
solutions report 5-3-2010
32 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Foam
Figure 1. Flowchart of the studied system. EOL = End-of-life. T = Transport
Steam
Electricity
Compost as
Soil
Conditioner
Raw material for
production of
insulation product
Raw material for
low grade
applications
Carbon Footprint, Global Warming Potential for a functional unit with R c
5
BioFoam EPS Foam PUR Foam Mineral Wool
Global Warming Potential (GWP 100 years) incl. biotic
CO 2
[kg CO 2
-Equiv.]
8,1 17 22 41
Carbon dioxide
Methane
Carbon dioxide (biotic)
Methane (biotic)
Carbon dioxide (Sequestred)
Nitrous oxide (laughing gas)
RockWool
Production
RockWool
PUR Foam
PUR Foam
EPS Foam
EPS Foam
Bio Foam
Bio Foam Production
-6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44
Global Warming Potential (GWP 100 years) [kg CO 2
-Equiv.]
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Global Warming Potential (GWP 100 years) [kg CO 2
-Equiv.]
Land Use for a functional unit of R c
5
BioFoam EPS Foam Mineral Wool
Land use (Farming & Forestry) [m 2• yr] 7,56 0,013 9,8
RockWool
Occup. as Convent. arable land
Occupation, arable, non-irrigated
Occupation, forest, intensive
Occupation, forest, intensive, normal
Occupation, forest, intensive, short-cycle
EPS Foam
Bio Foam
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Land Use (Farming & Forestry) [m 2 .year]
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 33

Foam
Biodegradable Foams
Containing Recycled Cellulose
Article contributed by
M. Avella
M. Cocca
M. E. Errico
G. Gentile
Istituto di Chimica e Tecnologia dei Polimeri
Pozzuoli (Na), Italy
Figure 1. PVOH based foams.
Polymer foams are found virtually everywhere and are
used in a wide variety of applications such as thermal
and acoustic insulation, energy dissipation, shock
protection, packaging, etc. due to their specific properties
[1].
The growing use of foams, particularly in the packaging
sector, is causing serious problems concerning their
disposal. In this respect numerous attempts have been
focused on the development of biodegradable materials.
Interest in environmentally friendly materials has stimulated
development of foams from biodegradable and renewable
resources, such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), poly ε-
caprolactone (PCL), polylactic acid (PLA) and starch, to
replace expanded polystyrene (EPS) [2]. With this aim,
composites based on eco-friendly polymers filled with natural
fibres are emerging materials, attracting the attention of
many industrial sectors [3]. Natural fibres are widely used as
reinforcements in thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers
due to their wide availability, low cost and high specific
properties [4]. Moreover, it is worth mentioning the positive
environmental benefit gained by the use of such materials [5].
Furthermore, in recent years the recycling of cellulose-based
materials has attracted great interest because it represents
one of the most promising waste disposal strategies [6].
In this paper, results of tests on foams consisting of
biodegradable polymers and recycled cellulose-based
materials, derived from industrial scrap, are briefly presented.
In particular, two families of materials were developed.
In the first, recycled multilayer cartons (MC), produced
from cellulose and low density polyethylene (80/20 wt/wt),
were used as a direct source of cellulose reinforcement in
PVOH based foams. These foams (Fig. 1) were produced by an
innovative and eco-friendly methodology based on a modified
overrun process. This process was able to generate a pore
structure, without the need for chemical agents or chemical
reactions, by entrapping air into the polymer/filler aqueous
dispersion during the high speed mixing. The resulting foams
were characterized by a dual-pore structure consisting of
large pores due to the air entrapped into the polymer matrix
and small pores due to the water removal during freezedrying,
as can be seen in the SEM micrographs of foam
34 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Foam
PVOH PVOH-MC 70-30
PVOH-MC 60-40 PVOH-MC 40-60
samples (Fig. 2). Swelling tests revealed a progressive
decrease in the swelling ratio with the increase of MC
content. This behaviour was ascribed to interactions
occurring between PVOH and MC phases which involve
the formation of hydrogen bonds between the free
hydroxyl groups of PVOH and those on cellulose chains.
Improvements of the compression properties and
thermal stability were recorded in all PVOH/MC foams.
These findings can be also considered as a result of a
good interaction between filler and polymer.
Figure 2 Scanning electron micrographs of PVOH based foams
In the second system chestnut shell (CS) was used as
cellulose reinforcement in Starch/PCL foams. Starch/
PCL (80/20 wt/wt) based foams were prepared by a
baking process which involves heating of starch, water,
and additives into a mould. During heating the water
vaporizes, acting as a foaming agent. Pictures of the
resulting foams are shown in Fig. 3.
The starch/PCL based foams were characterized
by a thin surface ‘skin’ of approximately 150 µm in
thickness, and an internal region characterized by a
cellular structure with large pores up to 1 mm in size.
Morphological analysis (Fig. 4) revealed that the cellular
structure was almost preserved up to 20 wt% content
of chestnut shell. Chestnut shell was able to decrease
the rate of water absorption of starch/PCL foams
while its possible reinforcement effect is still under
investigation.
www.ictp.cnr.it
References
[1] S.Cotugno, E. Di Maio, G. Mensitieri, L. Nicolais, S. Iannace,
Biodegradable foams - Handbook of Biodegradable
Polymeric Materials and Their Applications, American
Scientific Publishers, (2006).
[2] P. D. Tatarka, R. L: Cunningham, J Appl Polym Sci 67
(1998), 1157.
[3] R. M. Rowell, A. R. Sanadi, D. F. Caulfield, R. E. Jacobson,
Utilization of natural fibers in plastic composites: problems
and opportunities - Lignocelluloisc-plastic composites.
Leao AL, Carvalho FX, Frollini E, editors, (1997).
[4] M. Avella, L. Casale, R. Dell’Erba, B. Focher, E. Martuscelli,
A Marzetti, J Appl Polym Sci 68(7), (1997) 1077.
[5] A. K. Mohanty, M. Misra And G. Hinrichsen, Macromol.
Mater. Eng. 276/277 (2000), 1.
[6] C. A. Ambrose, R. Hooper, A. K. Potter, M. M. Singh,
Resour Conserv Recycling 36 (2002) 309.
Figure 3 Starch/PCL based foams
Starch/PCL Starch/PCL-CS 95-5
Starch/PCL-CS 90-10 Starch/PCL-CS 80-20
Figure 4 Scanning electron micrographs of Starch/PCL based foams.
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 35

Foam
Biodegradable
PLA/PBAT Foams
Volume Expansion Ratio
Open Cell content (%)
Article contributed by
Srikanth Pilla, George K. Auer, Shaoqin Gong
University of Wisconsin, USA
Seong G. Kim, Chul B. Park,
University of Toronto, CA
Figure 2: Volume Expansion Ratio vs Temperature
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
1
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
PLA
Ecovio
PLA+55%PBAT
Figure 3: Open Cell Content vs Temperature
PLA
130 140 150
Ecovio
PLA+55%PBAT
PLA+0.5%Talc
Ecovio+0.5%&Talc
PLA+55%PBAT+0.5%Talc
Die Temperature (°C)
PLA+0.5%Talc
Ecovio+0.5%&Talc
PLA+55%PBAT+0.5%Talc
125 130 135 140 145 150 155
Die Temperature (°C)
In this study, a unique processing technology viz. microcellular
extrusion foaming, was used to produce biodegradable foams
that could potentially replace existing synthetic foams thereby
reducing carbon footprint and contributing towards a sustainable
society.
Introduction
As a biodegradable and biobased polymer, polylactide (PLA)
has attracted much interest among researchers world-wide in
recent times; however, its commercial application is still limited
due to certain inferior properties such as brittleness, relatively
high cost, and narrow processing window. Certain drawbacks
can be overcome by copolymerizing lactide with different
monomers such as ε-caprolactone [1-4], trimethylene carbonate
[5] and DL-β-methyl-δ-valerolactone [6] and by blending PLA
with poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) [7], poly(εcaprolactone)
(PCL) [8-12] and many other non-biodegradable
polymers [13-19]. Though the blended polymers exhibited certain
improved mechanical properties compared to non-blended parts,
immiscible polymer blends may lead to less desirable properties
that were anticipated from blending. Thus, compatibilizers are
often used to improve the miscibility between the immiscible
polymer blend.
Foamed plastics are used in a variety of applications such
as insulation, packaging, furniture, automobile and structural
components [20-21]; especially, microcellular foaming is capable
of producing foamed plastics with less used material and energy,
and potentially improved material properties such as impact
strength and fatigue life [22]. Also compared to conventional
foaming, microcellular foaming process uses environmentally
benign blowing agents such as carbon dioxide (CO 2
) and nitrogen
(N 2
) in their supercritical state [23]. Microcellular process also
improves the cell morphology with typical cell sizes of tens
of microns and cell density in the order of 109 cells/cm 3 [23].
Additionally, compared to conventional extrusion, the microcellular
extrusion process allows the material to be processed at lower
temperatures, due to the use of supercritical fluids (SCF), making
it suitable for temperature- and moisture-sensitive biobased
plastics such as PLA. Solid PLA components processed by
various conventional techniques such as compression molding,
extrusion and injection molding have been investigated by
many researchers [24-25]; however, foamed PLA produced via
microcellular technology has been a recent development. Pilla
et al. [26-29] and Kramschuster et al. [30] have investigated the
properties of PLA based composites processed via microcellular
injection molding and extrusion foaming. Mihai et al. [31] have
36 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Foam
investigated the foaming ability of PLA blended with starch
using microcellular extrusion. Reignier et al. [32] have studied
extrusion foaming of amorphous PLA using CO 2
; however,
due to very narrow processing window of the unmodified PLA,
a reasonable expansion ratio could not be achieved.
In this study, PLA/PBAT blends have been foamed by the
microcellular extrusion process using CO 2
as a blowing agent.
Two types of blend systems were investigated: (1) Ecovio ® ,
which is a commercially available compatibilized PLA/PBAT
blend (BASF); (2) A non-compatibilized PLA/PBAT blend at the
same PLA/PBAT ratio (i.e., 45:55 by weight percent) as Ecovio.
The effects of talc,compatibilization and die temperature on
the cell size, cell density, volume expansion and open cell
content were evaluated.
Effects on Cell Size and Cell Density
Representative SEM images of the cell morphology of
different formulations are shown in Figure 1. From the figure,
it can be noted that the addition of
talc has decreased the cell size.
This shows that talc has acted as a
nucleating agent thereby reducing
the cell size. Thus, as more cells
started to nucleate, due to excess
nucleation sites provided by talc, there
was less amount of gas available for
their growth that lead to reduction
in cell size. Also, the addition of
talc significantly increased the melt
viscosity, which made it difficult for
the cells to grow, leading to smaller
cell sizes [33]. Also, from Figure 1
it can be observed that the cell size
of the compatibilized blends (both
Ecovio and Ecovio-talc) is much less
than that of the non-compatibilized
ones (PLA/PBAT and PLA/PBATtalc).
Thus it can be concluded that
compatibilization has reduced the cell
size. This might be due to increase in
the melt strength of the blend as a
result of the compatibilization [34].
In general, as shown in Figure 1,
the addition of talc has increased
the cell density because of the
heterogeneous nucleation. In a
heterogeneous nucleation scheme,
the activation energy barrier to
nucleation is sharply reduced in the
presence of a filler (talc in this case)
thus increasing the nucleation rate
and thereby the number of cells [35].
While comparing the compatibilized
and non-compatibilized samples, it
can be observed that the cell density
500 μm
PLA
PLA
+
0.5% Talc
Ecovio
Ecovio
+
0.5%Talc
PLA
+
55% PBAT
PLA
+
55% PBAT
+
0.5%Talc
Figure 1: Representative SEM Images of Various Formulations
Temperature Increase
130°C 140°C 150°C
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 37

Foam
is the much higher for Ecovio samples (i.e. both Ecovio and
Ecovio-talc). Thus as seen in cell size, compatibilization had
positive effect on the cell morphology of the foamed materials,
i.e., increasing the cell density. This is in agreement with the
published literature [36].
Effects on Volume Expansion Ratio (VER)
Volume expansion ratio denotes the amount of volume
that has proportionately expanded as a result of foaming.
Figure 2 presents the volume expansion ratio with respect
to temperature. The addition of talc has decreased the VERs
of PLA and non-compatibilized PLA/PBAT blend. This is due
to increase in stiffness and strength of the polymer melt. For
Ecovio, the addition of talc had no significant effect on VER.
While comparing the non-filled and talc filled compatibilized
and non-compatibilized PLA/PBAT blends, it can be inferred
that non-compatibilized PLA/PBAT blends possesses
higher VER in comparison to compatibilized blends. Thus,
compatibilization had a negative effect on the VER which could
be due to increase in the melt strength of the compatibilized
blends [37].
Effects on Open Cell Content (OCC)
The open cell content illustrates the interconnectivity
between various cells. A highly open cell structured foam can
be used in numerous industrial applications such as filters,
separation membranes, diapers, tissue engineering etc.
Figure 3 shows the variation of open cell content (OCC) with
temperature. In general, the open cell content is governed
by cell wall thickness [37]. As per the cell opening strategies
discussed in [37], higher cell density, higher expansion
ratios, creating structural inhomogeneity by using polymer
blends or adding cross-linker and using a secondary blowing
agent, all decrease the cell wall thickness thereby increasing
the OCC. Some of them work in conjunction with the other.
With the addition of talc, the OCC decreased for PLA and noncompatibilized
PLA/PBAT blend which might be attributed to
an increase in stiffness and strength of the talc filled samples.
For Ecovio, the OCC increased with the addition of talc. Thus,
talc had a varying effect on the OCC of PLA and its blends
(compatibilized and non-compatibilized). In the analysis of
OCC for compatibilized and non-compatibilized blends, it
can be inferred that compatibilization has reduced the OCC
significantly among non-filled blends but increased the OCC
slightly among talc filled blends. Further investigation is
required to study the varied effects of compatibilization on
the OCC of blends.
In summary, biodegradable PLA/PBAT foams have been
successfully produced using CO 2
as a blowing agent. Two types
of blends systems have been investigated, compatibilized and
non-compatibilized. The effects of talc and compatibilization
have been studied on different foam properties such as cell
morphology, volume expansion, and open cell content.
The financial support from National Science Foundation
(CMMI-0734881) is gratefully acknowledged.
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Cell. Plast. 42 (2006) 469-485.
37 K. Kimura, T. Katoh, S.P. McCarthy, SPE ANTEC Tech.
Papers 54 (1996) 2626-2631.
www.engr.wisc.edu
38 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Foam
Jim Fogarty, a foam industry veteran, and his sons
Dave, Bill, and Matthew, are the owners of Plastic Engineering
Associates Licensing, Inc.(‘PEAL‘), a company
which specializes in licensing high technology foam
feed screws & processing know-how for the extrusion of
foamed polymers such as polystyrene, polyethylene and
polylactic acid.
“A familiar refrain we hear when we ask our potential
customers about their interest in extruding biodegradable
& compostable foam food trays is ‘we don’t see it in our
marketplace’; We are very fortunate to have a father that
has worked exclusively in the foam polystyrene industry
as a chemical engineer for nearly 50 years. Jim was a
first hand witness to the markets movement away from
pulp and toward foam containers.” states Bill Fogarty, the
company’s Vice President.
Jim Fogarty offers his perspective: “For me, the market
parallels are quite similar to what I saw in the transition of
the market from pulp to foam trays. Back in the early 1960’s,
the pulp guys said ‘polystyrene foam will never make it’ and
‘polystyrene foam is too difficult to make.’ More often than
not, we would hear ‘polystyrene foam is too expensive’ and
‘we don’t see it in our market’. It’s incredible how similar it
is to today’s objections to biopolymer foam,”
“None of the pulp container manufacturers are in the
foam container business today. The pulp guys never saw it
coming. Every one of them watched as their market shrunk
and eventually they lost it all to polystyrene foam. Today,
the market is transitioning from petroleum based resins to
sustainable, renewable biopolymer resins like NatureWorks’
Ingeo. And if you are a foam food packaging company,
and you wait to get into the biopolymer foam game, it may
very well be too late for you. Your market won’t wait for you
to catch up to the competition,”
“Ideally, any foamed biopolymer food or meat tray
should have the same cost as a polystyrene tray, the same
appearance, and the same performance characteristics.
With respect to the performance and appearance
characteristics, at least with regard to cold case foam
applications, we are identical to polystyrene foam and in
some ways, better than polystyrene foam. NatureWorks
tells us that at US$80 a barrel oil, their Ingeo resin is cost
competitive with polystyrene. For my money, I’m betting
on oil being more expensive tomorrow than it is today
and today’s oil price is in the US$80 to 90 range.” Fogarty
stated.
“When an industry veteran like Jim speaks about the
foam market, we pay attention. Jim has truly done it all in
the foam industry, from manufacturing, applied Research
and Development, consulting, equipment design, inventing,
polymerization, green-field foam plants, you name it and
Jim has done it. And with 50 years of experience, he’s seen
it all, too. We know he is spot on about the inevitability of
biopolymers in the foam industry” states Bill Fogarty.
A Foam
Veteran‘s View
on Biopolymer
Foam
European
Plastic Packaging Conference 2011
Düsseldorf, May 9 -10, 2011, prior to Interpack
sustainable
economical
www.turboscrews.com
www.ecopack-conference.com
organized by
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 39

Foam
Fig 1: Moulded E-PLA body torso.
Industrial
Trials of
E-PLA Foams
Fig 2: Moulded E-PLA Underfloor
Insulation Block – showing some
distortion when moulding parameters
are not well optimised
Fig 3: Moulded E-PLA Helmet
Fig 4: Moulded E-PLA Fish Box
Fig 5: Moulded E-PLA Protective
Packaging (for an Electrical (Whiteware)
Appliance)
The Biopolymer Network E-PLA technology uses commercially
available polylactic acid (PLA) grades and
carbon dioxide as blowing agent to make expanded
PLA beads via a proprietary process which has won several
awards for innovation. Recently this technology has moved
into more widespread production trials using existing polystyrene
(EPS) plants. These trials, together with performance
tests, have demonstrated that the potential of expanded
PLA is more than just an alternative to EPS. While
the basic mechanical and thermal insulation properties of
E-PLA are similar to those of EPS there are other attributes
for E-PLA which allow a potentially wider range of applications
other than commodity packaging. For example, E-
PLA foam products, as well as being renewably resourced,
are likely to be readily composted according to international
standards if so desired.
Large scale trials
Industrial scale trials were performed at several EPS
molding manufacturers located in New Zealand and in
Europe and USA. The figures show examples of moulded
products which have included wig stands, body torsos,
helmets, underfloor insulation blocks, appliance protective
mouldings, fishboxes, automotive parts and laminated
sandwich composite structures. When moulding thicker
wall structures control of temperature and pressure is
important. When parameters are set up ‘as for EPS
moulding’, they can be potentially relatively harsh for an
unmodified E-PLA moulding, since the glass transition
temperature (T g
) of PLA (about 55ºC) is much lower than for
PS (about 95ºC). This can result in difficulty to mould thick
articles in particular. The challenge is to make the centre
fuse without having the outside shrinking. A torso moulding
(shown) was more readily moulded as it was relatively thin
(~2 cm). The torsos exhibited very good fusing with a good
surface finish.
In another trial, for underfloor insulation blocks (thicker
parts), as with others, pre-expansion of impregnated
Fig 6: Moulded E-PLA car seat part
40 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Article contributed by
Jean-Philippe Garancher
Kate Parker
Samir Shah
Stephanie Weal
Alan Fernyhough
All Biopolymer Network/Scion, Rotorua New Zealand
commercial PLA beads using commercial equipment,
was straightforward. Expansion and moulding parameters
were adjusted to attain the desired density and indeed
very low bulk densities were easily achieved. As observed
in previous trials control of temperature and times
throughout was important to achieve good mouldings. If
not optimised some distortions can occur (see Figure 2).
However, again, this trial produced articles successfully
molded using existing commercial EPS equipment.
These industrial scale trials are clearly very promising
and other trials have produced other parts. See figures
3-6 for other examples of E-PLA mouldings produced
at various sites. They show the potential of using the E-
PLA technology developed by the Biopolymer Network on
existing EPS machinery with minor some adaptations.
Many of the initial issues encountered such as nonuniform
fusing of thick articles, cooling/de-moulding, can
be overcome through either material modifications and/
or optimisation of the various overall integrated process
parameters, based on an understanding of the effects of
process and material variables on quality and performance.
These results indicate that the Biopolymer Network E-PLA
technology is a serious alternative to EPS, can be moulded
on the same processing equipment without necessitating
major modifications, and indeed that ‘E-PLAs‘ will have
applications beyond EPS - and beyond packaging.
MEET THE
BIOPLASTICS
INDUSTRY
IN HALL 9
COME TO THE EUROPEAN BIOLPLASTICS
STAND 9E02 AND SEE OUR PRESENTATIONS
ON THE NEWEST DEVELOPMENTS IN
BIOPLASTICS PACKAGING!
JOIN US FOR A DRINK AND
MEET NEW BUSINESS CONTACTS
AT DAILY SOCIAL EVENTS
SPONSORED BY OUR PARTNERS.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to acknowledge:
• The Biopolymer Network Ltd., collaboration between
AgResearch, Plant and Food Research and Scion, for
their support.
• NZFRST for funding (BPLY 0801 contract).
• Various foam moulders who have contributed to this
work
AND OUR STRONG
PARTNERS IN
BIOPLASTICS
www.bio-based.eu
www.biopolymernetwork.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 41

Foam
Look Out
for Pines
Tall oil (liquid rosin) as source
for PUR and PIR foams
Article contributed by
Dr. Ugis Cabulis, Mikelis Kirpluks
Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry
Riga, Latvia
Prof. Andrea Lazzeri
University of Pisa
Pisa, Italy
Table1: Characteristics of two PUR foams obtained
from tall oil.
Density, kg/m 3 30 45
Compressive strength, MPa 0.15 0.25
Youngs modulus, MPa 3.0 4.3
Closed cell content, % 92 95
Water abs. 7 days, vol.% 2.2 1.7
Figure 4: Filled T-piece for cars. Rigid PU, content of
renewable materials = 24%.
The abundance of hydroxyl-containing materials in nature
makes them an apparently obvious fit as the polyurethane
industry seeks to incorporate bio-renewable materials
into its products. Hence the EU 7 th FP Forbioplast project (Forest
Resource Sustainability through Bio-Based-Composite Development),
coordinated by Prof. Andrea Lazzeri, comprises one
research area that looks into the use of tall oil as a renewable
source in rigid polyurethane (PUR) and polyisocyanurate (PIR)
foam production and also into natural fibers as a reinforcement
material.
Nowadays, most raw materials still used for the production
of polyurethane chemicals are products of petrochemical origin.
Renewable resources could provide not only a sustainable
material source but also a stable material price. A part of the raw
materials needed for the production of bio-based PUR foams can
be obtained from renewable resources such as different types of
vegetable oils or tall oil, a by-product of pulp production.
The forest biomass represents abundant, renewable, nonfood
competition and a low cost resource that can play an
alternative role to petroleum resources. The production and
use of the forest biomass energy is ‘greenhouse gas’ neutral,
while the expansion of plantation forestry is a positive benefit to
greenhouse gas reduction through increasing forests as a carbon
sink. Consequently the Forbioplast project, for example, aims at
the general assessment of forest resources for the production of
bio-based products, the development of improved technologies
with regard to the present industrial synthesis of polyurethane
and the scale-up of such processes or the replacement of glass
fibers and mineral fillers with wood-derived fibers in automotive
interiors and exterior parts, and the development of biodegradable
polymer/wood derived fiber composites for applications in the
packaging and agriculture sectors.
One topic of the research activity is focused on the use of
wood, pulp and paper mill by-products (bark, chips, sawdust,
black liquor and tall oil) as raw materials for the production
of polyurethane foams by an innovative sustainable synthetic
process with reduced energy consumption.
A technology of the synthesis of polyols with the hydroxyl value
200 – 360 mg KOH/g from different grades of tall oil by way of
esterification or amidization has been developed. PUR and PIR
foams were obtained and their physical, mechanical and thermal
characteristics were tested (see table 1). The maximum content
of renewable resource in ready foams is 26%.
In contrast to PUR and PIR foams, which are obtained from the
polyols synthesized from petrochemical products, the polymeric
matrix of these foams is characterized by the absence of ester
and ether groups in the polymeric main chain, as well as the
presence of long saturated and unsaturated fatty acid C 12
– C 22
side chains. This peculiarity of the chemical structure ought to
promote the decrease in the water absorption of these foams,
so that the thermal insulation would be of a high performance
for a long term. For the same reason, the foams should be more
stable to hydrolysis. Apart from this, long side chains are capable
of screening the polar urethane and isocyanurate groups and
42 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Foam
Fig. 1: Compression strength and Young’s modulus of PU
foams filled with cellulose fibers. Foam density 25 – 30 kg/m3.
promoting the intermolecular plasticization of the polymeric
matrix. As a result of this plasticization the friability of the PIR
foams should decrease.
When using biopolymers as a matrix a logical consequence
is to reinforce them with natural fibers (NF). Along with it come
the advantages of significant weight and cost savings and the
replacement of petrochemical raw materials. The NF properties
are affected by many factors such as variety, climate, harvest,
maturity, and degree of retting. For this reason four different
NFs were tested: cellulose, wood, flax and modified cellulose.
Whereas the graphics only present PU foams filled with cellulose
fibers, the trends for other NFs are similar. The samples for the
tests were obtained by hand-mixing. The main characteristics
of the cellulose NF used are humidity – 4.5%; free OH-content
on the surface – 320 mgKOH/g; aspect ratio – 263 mm / 64mm
= 6.7.
Figure 1 shows that compressive strength and Young’s
modulus for lightweight foams decrease with increasing filler
content. At the same time, there are no significant changes in
the closed cell content and water adsorption. For PU foams with
a density 40 - 45 kg/m 3 (figure 2), compressive strength is in
balance and does not depend on the filler concentration; there is
a slight increase in the Young’s modulus in the direction parallel
to foaming. Both thermoinsulation PU foam series are closed
cell foams. The renewable raw material content in the foam
formulations could reach 35%.
On the other hand, the foams with a density >200 kg/m 3 ,
obtained in a closed mould, show an increase in compression
strength and Young’s modulus (Fig.3) with the optimum
filler concentration in ready foams of 3 - 6%; in this case, the
renewable materials content is about 30%.
Polyol synthesis, based on tall oil, is an environmentally friendly
process with low energy consumption and the obtained polyols
are competitive with those synthesized from petrochemical raw
materials.
Further process optimization for machine production of filled
foams is one target of future work, as well as the selection of
the optimum fibers from cellulose, wood and modified cellulose
fibers. Current activities aim at modifying fibers by enzymes in
order to improve the fiber / PU matrix adhesion. This will lead to
the improvement of the mechanical characteristics of rigid foam
even at low and medium densities. Finally, the polyol synthesis,
foam preparation and PU filling process remains an area for
investigation regarding improved processing for further scalingup
and industrialization.
This work is supported by European Community grant
FORBIOPLAST No.KBBE- 212239
www.forbioplast.eu
www.kki.lv
http://materials.diccism.unipi.it
σ,MPa
E,MPa
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
Compression strength, MPa
Parallel foaming
Perpendicular foaming
0
0 5 10
Filler content, %
4
3
2
1
Young modulus, MPa
Parallel foaming
Perpendicular foaming
0
0 5 10
Filler content, %
Figure 2: Compression strength and Young’s modulus of PU
foams filled with cellulose fibers. Foam density 40 – 45 kg/m3.
σ,MPa
E,MPa
0.3
0.2
Compression strength, MPa
0.1
Parallel foaming
Perpendicular foaming
0
0 5 10
Filler content, %
8
6
4
2
Young modulus, MPa
Parallel foaming
Perpendicular foaming
0
0 5 10
Filler content, %
Figure 3: Compression strength and Young’s modulus of PU
foams filled with cellulose fibers. Foam density 220-250 kg/m3.
σ,MPa
E,MPa
2
1.5
1
Compression strength, MPa
0.5
Parallel foaming
Perpendicular foaming
0
0 5 10
Filler content, %
50
25
Young modulus, MPa
Parallel foaming
Perpendicular foaming
0
0 5 10
Filler content, %
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 43

Application News
Natural Snacks in High
Barrier Film
Based in East Sussex, UK, Infinity Foods has been owned
and operated as a workers’ co-operative for over 30 years and
is one of the UK‘s leading wholesale distributors of organic
and natural foods. They have now decided to use high barrier
NatureFlex NK by Innovia Films to wrap its range of snack
packs.
Make it a Happy Meal
Spondon, Derby (UK) based Clarifoil, a company of
the Celanese Group has made millions of children very
happy. The new movie series ‘Shrek’ gave Mc Donald’s
the idea of packing 3D glasses into their traditional
‘Happy Meal’ boxes. The packaging design had to
incorporate 3D glasses into a Happy Meal box without
hindering handling in the restaurant. The lead-time was
also immensely tight just 8 weeks to include design and
production of some 12 million cartons.
The ingenious design solution led to the packaging
winning a number of awards. The designers specified
the use of Clarifoil’s acetates because the requirements
were exceedingly complex. The glasses were to be used
by children and they had to be simple to handle, whilst
being made of material that can have direct contact with
food as well as offering transmittance values suitable
for computer screens and printed cartons. The health
and safety regulations which had to be adhered to were
immense as the glasses had to gain approval as a toy.
Marion Bauer, Marketing, Clarifoil comments: “At
Clarifoil we listen closely to our customers and develop
products that give greater options. No challenge is too big.
We thrive on finding the right solution for specifiers.”
The resulting packaging exceeded all expectations and
even better, the 3-D lenses can also be recycled as they
consist of a thin acetate film, combined with recycled
paper. Now these glasses can be integrated into any type
of carton, at very low cost.
Clarifoil acetate is made from sustainable, GM free
wood pulp from Sustainable Forestry Initiative managed
forests, so that it has low impact on the environment
throughout its life cycle. It is fully home compostable
which is unheard of with competitive films that can
only be composted as 50°C plus. It doesn’t emit any
noxious or hazardous by-products and it adheres to the
compostability criteria EN 13432 and ASTM D6400 as well
as the OK Compost Home and US Composting Council
standards. MT
www.clarifoil.com
Kieran Gorman of Infinity, stated: “At Infinity Foods we are
always looking for ways to limit our environmental impact and
carbon footprint. For example, our catalogues are printed on
paper from sustainable forests using no chlorine in manufacture
and some of our transport fleet runs on bio-diesel. So opting
for a film such as NatureFlex is a logical progression for us.
Our products are available across the UK and Ireland and can
be found at specialist retailers across Europe and as far a field
as Asia. We are currently only packing our new snack packs
in NatureFlex but are looking to start using the film across the
whole range.”
For the creation of the pack design, Infinity Foods collaborated
with packaging consultant, Andy Skinner of Aboxhigh, who
said:
“Having supplied Infinity Foods for over 15 years and being
fully aware of the company’s ethos on the environment,
NatureFlex has filled the void we have been waiting for.
NatureFlex is one of the most exciting products I have been
involved in within my 35 years experience in the packaging
industry. The high visual shelf appeal of the packs, coupled
with sustainability and reduction in carbon footprint fulfills all
the criteria that Infinity Foods require.”
The resulting pack has helped to re-brand the range of handy
size snack products including Organic Milk Chocolate Buttons,
Organic High Energy Trail Mix and Hot Chilli Cashew Nuts.
The NatureFlex NK used in this application provides the best
moisture barrier of any biopolymer film currently available, it
is 45µm thick and is flexo printed by Modern Packaging. MT
www.innoviafilms.com
www.infinityfoods.co.uk
Infinity Foods snack packs are wrapped in compostable,
high barrier NatureFlex NK from Innovia Films
44 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Application News
Biopolastic Components
in Cutting Dies
Compostable School
Milk Cups
Austria‘s farmers have been supplying schools and
Kindergardens with millions of portions of school milk
since 1995 directly from their farms and thereby are
significantly contributing to the nutritional health of
children.
A negative result of this activity and a major
disadvantage to the environment is the enormous
amount of plastic waste which is created, and in
addition the waste of resources.
The project ‘Compostable school milk cups / school
milk packaging’ is currently replacing approx. 10
million of the traditional polystyrene cups (plastic
cups) with their aluminium lids and plastic straw with
compostable cups, lids and straws, based on renewable
biodegradable and compostable materials, namely
Ingeo PLA by NatureWorks
This idea is to replace about 100 tonnes of polystyrene
and about 20 tonnes of aluminium through renewable
biodegradable and compostable materials in Austrian
schools alone.
The advantage is a huge reduction of usage of fossil
resources - significant cost savings in disposal or
composting, the positive example for the children in
these schools and the cost savings for the environment
due to the elimination of aluminium use and the
dramatic reduction in the production of CO 2
.
This Austrian initiative is currently Europe‘s most
modern milk packaging idea and a role model and
leader for the future of environmentally friendly
packaging. MT
Reported by Ewald Kapellner, BioBag Austria, Linz
Austria
www.biobag.at
At the special show on ‘Sustainable Production and
Packaging’ within the framework of FACHPACK 2010, last
fall in Nuremberg, Germany, the Heilbronn, Germany, based
company Karl Marbach GmbH & Co. KG presented its green
philosophy called ‘marbagreen’.
This includes, among other things, the fact that Marbach,
world market leader in cutting dies for the packaging industry,
will switch step-by-step from plastic components for their
dies to bioplastics. “Which we see as a very good thing!“,
says Marketing Manager Tina Dost. The big advantage of the
brand-new, biodegradable bioplastic that we use is that it is
manufactured from 100% renewable raw material.
Marbach cutting dies are being used for pharmaceutical
packaging, packaging for cigarettes, cosmetics, food and
much more. Since Fachpack 2010, Marbach has been replacing
the die‘s plastic edge protectors with new ones made of a
bioplastic material from Tecnaro. Further areas of application
such as stabilizers for stripping tools, spring elements for
pressure plates, handles for rotary tools for corrugated board
die-cutting, as well as straighteners for blank separation, are
also conceivable. Material tests are currently in full swing.
In recent years Marbach’s customers have been more and
more faced with ecological matters such as climate-neutral
printing and carbon footprint issues. Consequently Marbach
started to look into ecological sustainability at a very early
stage in order to support their customers. The result was the
first ‘green’ dieboard on the market - the Marbach greenplate.
Based on the ‘marbagreen’ concept more ecologically
sustainable projects followed. Replacing petrol-based plastics
with resource-saving bioplastics is one of these projects.
The Tecnaro material was chosen because it is obtained as
by-product of paper production Testing has shown that this
bioplastic material perfectly meets the company’s technical
and design requirements. For Marbach, the most important
aspect is resource-saving. Unlike normal plastics, no finite
resources are used for the production of this bioplastic, which
is obtained as by-product of paper production. This is how
natural resources can be purposefully protected, “and,” says
Tina Dost, “we, as a company, contribute to maintaining living
conditions for future generations.”MT
www.marbach.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 45

Application News
Hemp Waves (2009/2010): Flax fiberboard,
Hemp fiberboard, Chipboard, Masonite,
Homasote, non-toxic acrylic paint, non-toxic
glue, eco-friendly wood stain
Foam Trays in Seattle
On July 1, 2010, the city of Seattle, Washington, USA,legislated
that all single-use foodservice packaging used within the city
must be compostable or recyclable. According to a City of Seattle
news release, the new foodservice packaging requirements
savedSeattle from sending 6,000 tons of plastic and plasticcoated
paper single-use food service ware and leftover food to
landfills every year.
Shadow Shades (2009/2010): Chipboard,
Masonite, domestic poplar, non-toxic glue,
non-toxic acrylic paint, non-toxic wood stain
Artist Looking for
Bioplastic Sheet
Justin Kovac from Johnson City, New
York, USA calls himself an Eco-Artist. His
wall sculptures are developed from abstract
drawings he renders, and are constructed
using primarily eco friendly materials. Justin’s
beliefs in sustainability drive his commitment
to using environmentally friendly practices in
the development of his unique pieces.
Justin is presently working in media which
includes MDF, chipboard, Masonite, wood
substrate materials, etc; however he is also
looking to produce a new line of work made
from the bioplastic materials. Pieces that are
currently in the conceptualization state may
look similar to those pictured on his website.
Manufacturers of bioplastics sheet material
who are interested in supporting Justin with
material or cooperate with him are invited to
contact him. MT
www.justinkovac.com.
At the same time, foam trays made from Ingeo PLA
became available for packaging meat, fish, fresh produce,
and poultry. Brad Halverson, vice president of marketing at
Metropolitan Market, a large regional food retailer, said, “This
is a revolutionary step to cut down on landfill waste.Our Seattle
customers will now be able to redirect an estimated one million
meat trays per yearto community composting facilities.”
The new bioplastic foam trays used by Metropolitan
Market were developed by foodservice packaging suppliers
and distributors Kenco and BunzlR3,working with the
manufacturerPactiv, Lake Forrest, Illinois. The trays are being
marketed under the name EarthChoice, a Pactiv brand that
covers nearly 80 sustainable packaging products, including
cups, hinged-lid containers, plates, and straws, for disposable
food service needs.
The EarthChoice Ingeo trays are tinted brown to help the
authorized composter, Cedar Grove Composting, Seattle,
ensure that the correct trays enter its processes. The trays are
certified compostable to both Cedar Grove’s own composting
standard and to ASTM 6400. The brown tint colorant is also
Ingeo based.
Mark Spencer, business manager for emerging materials and
sustainability, Pactiv, said that the EarthChoice foam trays offer
similar performance characteristics to the polystyrene trays
they replace. The EarthChoice trays can be used in freezers
down to -18˚C and up to 41˚C.
Pactiv reports the trays offer exceptional strength and
performance characteristics and can be used in both handwrapping
and machine-wrapping applications. MT
www.pactiv.com.
46 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Application News
Biodegradable
iPhone Case
“iNature is the only case for the iPhone 3G/3GS and
iPhone 4 which is totally biodegradable,” say a press
release by API Spa. iNature, a registered trademark in
Italy, the EU, the USA as well as many other countries,
is the result of a partnership between BIOMOOD Srl
and API Spa who have combined to bring together
eye-catching Italian design and innovative research
into eco-friendly materials.
The iNature case is made entirely from APINAT, a
bioplastic developed and produced by API Spa who
are the leading Italian producer of thermoplastic
compounds. Apinat is a range of fully recyclable and
biodegradable bioplastics in aerobic environment
following EN 13432, EN 14995 and ASTM D6400 standards.
Apinat offers a level of flexibility and softness far
beyond anything else available in the bioplastics
market which has enabled API to register an
international patent for this exceptional material.
This kind of performance is what led Biomood to
choose API as the ideal partner for the production of
their innovative, unique collection of biodegradable
iPhone cases.
The iNature case is designed to fit your iPhone
snugly and protect it from bumps and scratches while
guaranteeing easy access to all buttons and controls.
The case even gives off a pleasant aloe/lemon scent.
iNature cases are available in a vast range of nontoxic
biodegradable colours containing no heavy
materials or other dangerous substances in line with
EN standard13432.
The iNature project aims for zero environmental
impact and each part of the product is designed to
be 100% biodegradable, including all packaging and
display materials. The box is made from recycled
cardboard and the inks are water-based so once
disposed of it is totally biodegradable. MT
www.apinatbio.com
www.inature.it
Compostable
Adhesive
As producer of Epotal ® Eco, BASF shall forthwith be able to
offer the first compostable water-based adhesive certified by
the German Technical Inspection Agency TÜV. “Biologically
degradable adhesives will play a decisive role in the future when
it comes to developing compostable packaging materials,” says
Cornelis Beyers from Marketing Industrial Adhesives. Epotal Eco
is particularly suitable for the production of multi-layer films for
flexible packaging materials based on biodegradable plastics.
Possible applications are bags for potato chips or chocolate bar
wrappings.
There is growing demand for efficient and at the same time
sustainable raw materials in the packaging industry. “In the
past, we received, again and again, inquiries for biodegradable
adhesives but were unable to satisfy them,” confirms Merle
Dardat, Product Manager at DIN Certco, a certification company
of the TÜV Rhineland Group and of the German Standard Institute
(DIN). DIN Certco has now issued the registration notice for Epotal
P100 Eco certifying the product as a biodegradable additive.
A rotting test in composted soil showed that after 70 days only, 90
percent of Epotal Eco is broken down, thus fulfilling the standard
EN 13432. The molecule structure of the product resembles the
one of naturally occurring polymers. Microorganisms are able to
convert them into carbon dioxide, water and biomass with the help
of enzymes. The best results are achieved in industrial composting
facilities since they offer ideal conditions for microorganisms.
After the decomposition process, Epotal Eco leaves no toxic
residuals und shows no negative impact on the environment.
Apart from its compostability, Epotal Eco offers all benefits of
waterbased adhesives, which are an environmentally friendly and
efficient alternative to solvent-based and solvent-free products.
They are free from toxic components and are suitable for food
packaging. In addition, multi-layer films, which are produced with
the help of water-based plastics, can be processed immediately.
This helps the packaging industry to save time and money. MT
www.basf.com
Possible applications are
bags for potato chips
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 47

From Science & Research
Biomaterials Based on
Article contributed by
Marguerite Rinaudo
Centre de recherches sur les
Macromolécules Végétales (CNRS)
affiliated with Joseph Fourier University
Grenoble, France
Chitin (poly-β -(14)-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine) is a natural
renewable polysaccharide of major importance first identified
in 1884 (Fig. 1). This biopolymer is widely synthesized
in a number of living organisms and, considering the amount of
chitin produced annually on a world scale, it is the second most
abundant polymer after cellulose [1,2]. Despite the widespread
occurrence of chitin, it seems that up until now the main commercial
source of chitin comes from crab and shrimp shells. In
industrial processes chitin is extracted from crustaceans by acid
treatment to dissolve calcium carbonate followed by alkaline extraction
for the solubilisation of proteins. In addition a decolourisation
step is often applied to remove the residual pigments and
obtain a colourless product. These treatments need to be adapted
to each chitin source due to differences in the ultrastructure of
the initial sources. The resulting chitin needs to be graded in
terms of purity and colour since residual proteins and pigments
can cause problems for further utilization (thermal treatment, allergic
reactions….). After partial deacetylation under strong alkaline
conditions chitosan is obtained, which is the most important
chitin derivative in terms of applications and availability. Chitosan
is a random copolymer of β-(14)-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and
β-(14)-D-glucosamine (Fig. 1).
Depending on the utilization, these polymers may be processed
in different forms such as sponge, bead, film, fibre, solution,
aerosol, or gel, as soon as soluble systems can be obtained; they
may also be mixed with other natural or synthetic polymers to
obtain blends or composites with original properties.
Chitin characterization and main properties.
Chitin is a semi-crystalline polysaccharide in which the chitin
chains are tightly held by a number of inter-chain and intra-chain
hydrogen bonds; this is the reason for good physical performances
but also for difficulties in processing (just as cellulose, chitin
is infusible and difficult to solubilise) [1]. The question of their
solubility is a major problem in view of the development of
processing and uses of chitin. The mostly used solvent for a long
time was DMAc/LiCl; this solvent is also used to determine the
molecular weight of chitin [1]. CaCl 2
.2H 2
O-saturated MeOH as
well concentrated phosphoric acid, lithium thiocyanate or NaOH
at low temperature were also proposed. From solution, chitin is
able to be regenerated (in water or other non-solvents) under the
different forms (casting of films and extrusion of fibres) or mixed
with cellulose or other polymers to obtain blends (interesting
blends may be developed after solubilisation of cellulose and
chitin in common solvents) [3,4]. The main difficulties with chitin
are the quality and reproducibility of the samples supplied, but
also the difficulty to solubilize.
48 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

From Science & Research
Chitin and Chitosan
Chitin, as other polysaccharides including cellulose,
have good film and fibre forming properties; in addition,
the good stability of chitin-based materials is promoted by
the establishment of an H-bond network between extended
chains. Chitin adds original properties to the new materials
as being biocompatible, non-allergic, biodegradable, nontoxic,
with antimicrobial activity and low immunogenicity,
deodorizing, moisture controlling; it is also insoluble in water
whatever the pH, with some hydrophilic character. Recently,
a short review presented the applications of chitin and
chitosan-based nano-materials [5].
Chemical modifications are performed using the same
methods as for cellulose or other polysaccharides (reaction
on the –OH positions).
Chitosan characterization and main
properties.
Chitosan results from the deacetylation of chitin under
alkaline conditions or by enzymatic hydrolysis in the presence
of a chitin deacetylase. It becomes soluble in aqueous
acidic media (pH

(a)
From Science & Research
(b)
Figure 2. SEM views of chitin foam lyophilized after
freezing at -20°C overnight: (a) surface; (b) cross section.
Scale bar =100 mm. Reprinted in part from [8] with the
permission from ACS (2011)
References
[1] M.Rinaudo, Chitin and chitosan: Properties and
applications, Prog. Polym. Sci., 31, 603-632 (2006)
[2] M.Rinaudo, Main properties and current applications of
some polysaccharides as biomaterials, Polym. Int., 57(3),
397-430 (2008)
[3] S.Hirano, Wet-spinning and applications of functional
fibers based on chitin and chitosan, in Natural and
synthetic polymers: challenges and perspectives, W.
Arguelles-Monal (Ed.). Macromol Symp. Wiley-VCH Verlag
GmbH, Weinheim,Germany, 168, 21-30 (2001)
[4] C.K.S.Pillai, W.Paul and C.P. Sharma, Chitin and chitosan
polymers : chemistry, solubility and fiber formation, Prog.
Polym. Sci., 34, 641-678 (2009)
[5] R.Jayakumar, D.Menon, K.Manzoor, S. V. Nair and H.
Tamura, Biomedical applications of chitin and chitosan
based nanomaterials. A short review, Carbohydr. Polym.,
82(2), 227-232 (2010).
[6] Khor E, Lim LY, Implantable applications of chitin and
chitosan, Biomaterials 24, 2339-2349 (2003)
[7] Ravi Kumar M N V, Muzzarelli R A A, Muzzarelli C, Sashiwa
H, Domb A J. Chitosan Chemistry and pharmaceutical
perspectives Chem Rev., 104, 6017-6084 (2004)
[8] S.Tokura, H.Tamura, K.takahashi, N.Sakairi, and
N.Nishi, ACS Symposium series 737 (Chapter 6, pp
85-97), Polysaccharides applications-Cosmetics and
Pharmaceuticals, Edited by M.A.El Nokali and H.A.Soini,
American Chemical Society 1999
Main applications of chitin and chitosan.
The current main development is in biomedical and
biopharmaceutical applications as wound-dressing material,
artificial skin (blended with collagen), excipient and drug carrier
in film, foam, gel or powder forms taking into account the
biocompatibility, biodegradability, physiological inertness, affinity
for proteins and mucoadhesivity [6,7]. Mixed with nanoparticles
of hydroxyapatite they are used in tissue engineering to generate
bone.
Chitosan, being the only cationic pseudo-natural polymer, may
be used in aqueous solution to clarify and purify industrial waste
water. In the paper industry it is used as a filter aid and sizing
agent, wet end additive (increasing the wet strength), pulping
additive, surface treating agent and fibre binder. It also improves
the gas barrier properties of paper. It is used in the textile industry
for its antibacterial properties.
These polysaccharides are also used, or potentially usable, in
the food industry, biotechnology, agriculture, cosmetics products,
membrane filter technology, textile industry etc [1].
In solid state, cross-linked chitosan foams are useful as
cosmetic wipes and pads, as a base material for cosmetic
packaging or microbial barrier in wound dressing capable of
absorbing wound exudate. Gelatin-chitosan or starch-chitosan
foams were also prepared.
Chitosan and derivatives with a film structure were used for
preservation of foods against microbial deterioration or as an
additive in deacidification of fruit and beverages, emulsifier
agents, thickening and stabilizing agents, colour stabilization,
and as dietary supplements.
Mixed with starch, it was proposed as a disposable packaging
material, possibly reinforced with cellulosic fibres. Blends or
composites with chitin or chitosan on one side and cellulose,
poly(caprolactone)(PCL), poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA), polyalkylene
glycol, PET, PHB, PA6 and PA66, PAN, polypropylene treated by
corona discharge on the other side are mentioned in the literature.
In these materials, cellulose, chitin or chitosan are introduced as
nano-fibres to reinforce mechanical properties or blended with
the second polymer from mixed solutions.
The main interest in the presence of chitin, chitosan or their
derivatives (such as carboxymethylated-chitin and –chitosan)
is to introduce a new material with antimicrobial quality
(especially for packaging of food and agricultural products), some
hydrophilic and biocompatibility characteristics for biomedical
and pharmaceutical applications), biodegradability when used in
a pure form or in mixture with another biodegradable polymer.
www.cermav.cnrs.fr
50 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

From Science & Research
PLA Composites with
Field Crop Residues
Tensile strength, MPa
Article contributed by
Calistor Nyambo
Amar K. Mohanty
Manjusri Misra
University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada
Figure 1: Field crop residues (a) Corn stalks; (b) Soy stalks and
(c) Wheat straws
Figure 2: Tensile properties of (a) PLA with (b) 30 wt % of agricultural
residue, (c) 30 wt % hybrid fibers (i.e. 10 wt % each of wheat, corn
and soy stalks) and (d) 30 % fiber compatibilized with PLA-g-MA.
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
Tensile strength
Tensile modulus
8
6
4
2
Tensile modulus, GPa
Field crop residues such as, cereal straws, corn and
soy stalks are widely available in large quantities
and are normally discarded as waste or used as
animal feed.These field crop residues contain cellulose
based fibers [1] and their utilization in ‘green’ composites
has potential for generating extra revenue for farmers.
Using field crop residuesmight be another way of making
affordable injection molded biocomposites with specific
desired mechanical performance.
Our recent studies have focussed on the use of field
residues, shown in Figure 1 (i.e. wheat, corn and soy
stalks), and their hybrids as a principle source of fibers for
making affordable and sustainable bio-based polylactide
(PLA) composites [2]. We estimated the cost of the field
crop residues to be around $0.15/kg.
Varying amounts of ground fibers from 10 to 40 wt % were
successfully incorporated into the PLA matrix. It was found
that the addition of the field crop residues slightly reduces
the tensile strength and significantly increases the elastic
modulus. The mechanical performance of the different
types of these fibers and their hybrids at 30 wt % loading in
PLA were similar as shown in Figure 2. This is an important
finding since it may mean that agricultural residues can
be substituted for each other without compromising
mechanical performance in the event of fiber shortages.
Automotive part makers have raised some concerns
regarding the supply chain of natural fibers. Therefore,
the development of multiple compositeformulations using
hybrid fibers might be another important way of reducing
concerns from automotive part makers since many
formulation options will be available in the event that one
type of fiber is temporarily out of supply.
The hydrophilic nature of agricultural fibers presents
another problem in natural fiber composites. Natural
fibers tend to agglomerate as the loading is increased
and this may lead to poor dispersion in bioplasticthereby
decreasingthe mechanical performance of the composite.
Various fiber surface treatments techniques and coupling
agents have been developed for improving the fibermatrix
adhesion [3]. The use of maleic anhydride grafted
polymers like polypropylene-grafted with maleic anhydride
(PP-g-MA) is one of the best example. Unfortunately,
PLA grafted with maleic anhydride (PLA-g-MA) is not yet
commercialized but synthetic routes have been reported
0
a b c d
0
52 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

(a)
From Science & Research
(b)
in literature [4]. Upon, the additionof 5 wt % of PLA-g-MA,
which was prepared via reactive extrusion, the tensile
strength of wheat straw increased by about 20 % matching
that of the neat PLA as shown in Figure 2. This is a good
result because compatibilized composites have low cost
since they are filled with 30 wt% inexpensive fibers; whilst
having better stiffness than the neat PLA and comparable
tensile and flexural strength.
Figure 3: SEM images for PLA with (a) 30 wt % biomass and (b) with
30 % biomass compatibilized with PLA-g-MA
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images presented
in Figure 3 showed less evidence of fiber fracture and
pull-out in the compatibilized composites than in the
uncompatibilized composites which suggest good fibermatrix
adhesion. The PLA composites were found to
have low densities (1.3 g/cm 3 ) and no enhancements in
the heat deflection temperature, (HDT) were observed.
Stereocomplexation (blending the two different stereoisomers
of PLA i.e. D-PLA, and L-PLA) is one of the
most promising techniques that has been developed for
improving the heat resistance of PLA.
One of the advantages of using PLA is that it is 100 %
biodegradable and recyclable. The biodegradation of PLA
is influenced by several factors such as moisture level,
temperature and pH. Since the fibers are hydrophilic, they
tend to absorb water which is essential for the hydrolysis
of the ester groups on the PLA chains to form oligomers
which can easily be attacked by bacteria. It was found that
the PLA/agric residues composites biodegrade faster than
the neat PLA [5]. This result is also important since it may
mean that the PLA composites can alleviate shortages of
landfills since they can easily biodegrade.
Prototype composite panels are presented in Figure 4.
It was observed that the PLA/agro residue fibers can
easily be tinted with a pigment to give certain desired
colour. We estimated the costs for these composites to be
around $0.95/lb and this is lower than our estimate cost
for polypropylene/glass-fiber at $1.10/lb.
Acknowledgements
Financial support from 2008 Ontario Ministry of
Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) – University
of Guelph Bioproducts program, NSERC- Discovery grant
program individual (Mohanty) is greatly appreciated. The
authors gratefully thank Elora Farms in Guelph for kindly
providing all the agricultural residues.
Figure 4: Prototypes plaques of the PLA/30 % wheat straw
composite panels prepared via extrusion followed by
compression molding (a) without (b) with pigment.
www.bioproductsatguelph.ca
References
[1] US Department of Energy http://www.eere.
energy.gov/biomass/progs/search1.cgi
[2] Nyambo, C.; Mohanty, A. K.; Misra,
M.Biomacromolecules. 2010, 11, 1654
[3] Mohanty, A. K.; Misra, M.; Drzal, L. T. Compos.
Interfaces2001, 8, 313.
[4] Carlson, D.; Nie, L.; Nayaran, R.; Dubois, P. J.
Appl. Polym. Sci.1999, 72, 477.
[5] Pradhan, R.; Misra, M.; Erickson, L.; Mohanty,
A.K. Bioresource Technology.2010, 101, 8489.
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 53

Basics
Basics of
Lignin
Article contributed by
Hans-Peter Fink
Johannes Ganster
Gunnar Engelmann
Fraunhofer Institute for Applied
Polymer Research
Potsdam-Golm, Germany
Lignin is one of the most frequently occurring natural
polymers in the world and the main one with aromatic
rings. Nature uses lignin as the glue to build its sophisticated
strong and yet flexible composite structures found in
tree trunks and grass stalks. The elongated wood cell walls,
mainly consisting of strong cellulose fibrils and hemi celluloses,
are glued together by lignin which contributes to the
compression strength of the composite. Moreover, the rather
hydrophobic lignin is known to protect the structure from
adverse environmental influences such as fungal attack.
Industrially, lignin figures mainly in the pulp and paper
industry. There, however, processes are optimized for
extracting cellulose, and lignin is basically used for
generating heat for the pulping process. This situation is
clearly unsatisfactory in a sustainable economy and serious
attempts have been, and are being made, to utilize lignin for
various alternative applications.
Figure 1: Phenylpropane-based monomers of lignin, p-coumaryl
alcohol, coniferyl alcohol, and sinapyl alcohol
Figure 2: Proposed model structure of spruce lignin
according to Freudenberg [2].
Structure of lignin
Lignin is built up of the three phenylpropane derivatives:
p-coumaryl alcohol, coniferyl alcohol, and sinapyl alcohol
(s. Fig. 1). These constituents are irregularly linked at
various positions in the molecules, resulting in an extended
network.
The resulting linking patterns and the monomer ratios
dominate the properties of natural lignin in general and
depend on the lignin source. The main sources are softwood,
hardwood and grasses [1].
Softwood lignins are almost exclusively made from
coniferyl alcohol. Typical raw materials are cedar, cypress, fir,
hemlock, larch, pine, redwood, spruce, and thuja; containing
between 25 and 35 % of lignin.
Hardwood lignins are dominated by mixtures of coniferyl
and sinapyl alcohols in varying amounts. Sources are ash,
aspen, beech, birch, elm, eucalyptus, hickory, maple, oak,
poplar or walnut, with lignin contents of about 20 to 25%.
The lignin composition of grasses is characterized by p-
coumaryl- and coniferyl alcohols. The lignin content ranges
between 15 and 20%.
Further influences working on the lignin structure are the
growing conditions of the plants, i.e. the climate, the place of
growing and last but not least the part of the plants. The lignin
structure of a crown is not the same as the lignin structure of
the stock of the tree, for instance.
During the industrial pulping processes the natural lignins,
having huge molecular weights at the start, are degraded into
smaller fragments - in many cases down to ranges of 3000
to 4000 Daltons. A proposed model structure for degraded
spruce lignin is presented in Fig. 2. Obviously, lignin is a
substance of high complexity and, moreover, high structural
variability.
54 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Basics
However, lignin-based products with defined properties can
only be made from lignins with reproducible characteristics
(e.g. solubility, glass transition temperature) and, ideally,
reproducible average composition and purity, hydroxyl
number, and molecular weight. Therefore, structure
characterization plays an important role in lignin product
design. To elucidate the composition, spectroscopic methods
can be advantageously applied. As an example, solid state
CP/MAS 13 C-NMR spectra of a softwood and a hardwood
lignin are presented in Fig. 3. The differences are clearly
visible, in particular in the range between 160 and 100 ppm
chemical shift displaying the electronic environment of the
ring carbons. In such a way, softwood and hardwood species
can be differentiated.
Lignin extraction
Up to now lignin is commonly known for being a by-product
of cellulose pulping processes which are run on a scale
estimated to be 175 million tons of pulp per year worldwide.
To separate and isolate cellulose from wood as the main
product, different pulping processes were developed over the
past almost 150 years. The two classical pulping processes,
sulphite and sulphate (Kraft) pulping, work with H 2
SO 3
and
Na 2
S, respectively, lignin ending up in the so-called brown
and black liquors, respectively. Lignins produced in sulphite
pulping are known as lignosulphonates which are water
soluble and typically contain 5 – 9 % sulphur, while in the
sulphate process water insoluble Kraft lignins with 2 – 3 %
sulphur are formed. The percentages of the classical pulping
processes of industrial relevance are given in Figure 4 [3]
showing the overwhelming dominance of the Kraft process.
Figure 3: 13 C-NMR spectra of a hardwood and softwood lignin
sample
While lignosulphonates are marketed for various
applications (see below), Kraft black liquor is locally
combusted in the pulp mill’s recovery plant to produce heat
for the process and for sale. An increase in pulp production in
connection with optimized processes can bring the capacity
of the recovery plant to its limit and alternative lignin uses
can become of interest. First, however, lignin must be
isolated from the black liquor. For this purpose, the so called
LignoBoost process, now owned by Metso [4], was developed
in the last decade and uses pressurized CO 2
for lignin
precipitation. The demonstration plant in Bäckhammar,
Sweden, is run by Innventia and has a capacity of 8,000 tons
per year [5].
89%
sulphate pulping
sulphite pulping
others
Sulphur-free lignins are of interest for applications in the
materials sector. Several methods have been developed [6]. A
classification can be made with respect to the liquid medium
used in the pulping processes. The Soda-Anthrachinon
procedure works with aqueous sodium hydroxide solution and
uses Anthrachinon to stabilise the cellulose during pulping.
Alcell processes use only organic solvents such as methanol
or ethanol. The Organocell procedure was developed as a Figure 4: Global pulp production by category [3].
5%
6%
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 55

Basics
others
tanning agents
spud mud
cement
mineral color
dyeing factory
dust binder
paper additive
pesticides
chipboard
building stones
concrete
coal briquets
animal food
0 10 20 30 40
part of application (%)
Figure 5: Applications of lignosulphonates [10]
Figure 7: Printed circuit wiring board (green card) from lignin
containing epoxy resin [15]
Figure 8: EcoPump (Gucci) with heel made from Arboform
combination of the methanol and sodium hydroxide routes.
The application of acidic agents, especially organic acids like
acetic and formic acid, is characteristic for the Acetocelland
Formacell processes. The Milox procedure additionally
uses oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide in combination with
formic acid for lignin degradation.
In recent years biorefinery concepts have become most
popular. In the context of lignin sourcing, biorefineries using
lignocellulose feedstock for cellulose bioethanol production
(2nd generation bioethanol) could play an important role in
providing sulphur-free and structurally tailored lignins. A
current example is provided by the Canadian company Lignol,
which is running a biorefinery ready for commercialisation
based on the Alcell process [7]. The three main products of
wood pulping, i.e. cellulose, lignin, and mixed sugars are
converted to fuel ethanol, HP-L TM lignin, and thermal energy,
respectively. Larger biorefinery projects for lignocelluloses
with a focus on the valorization of lignin have also been set
up in the Netherlands (LignoValue [8]) and Germany (CBP
Leuna [9]).
Applications
Lignin is mainly used as an energy supply for the processes
run in the pulp mills. However, roughly a million tonnes per
year is sold in the form of lignosulphonates for the various
applications shown in Fig. 5.
The actual uses of isolated lignins apart from
lignosulphonates are at a much lower, often pilot scale,
level and can be divided into three main categories – energy,
materials, and chemicals.
Pellets made from lignin can be used as a solid fuel
analogous to wood pellets but with a much higher calorific
value, as demonstrated with lignin from the LignoBoost
process [11].
An example of the use of lignin as a substitute of phenol
in phenol-formaldehyde resins is provided by Protobind TM , a
sulphur-free lignin from annual plants (10,000 tonnes/a [12]).
With the tendency to higher phenol prices, the use of lignin
can be an economically viable biobased alternative. The
properties of such thermosets and composites loaded with
20-30% of sulphur-free lignin are comparable or marginally
better than those of the standard materials as demonstrated
by the Dynea company [13]. Similar effects can be anticipated
for resins of the same group, i.e. amino and melamine
resins.
Indulin AT is a commercial Kraft pine lignin from
MeadWestvaco and is ideal for use in a wide range of
polymeric applications where solid dispersants or adsorption
properties are required [14].
In the nineteen-nineties IBM developed a ‘green-card’
(Fig. 7), a printed wiring board made from an epoxy resin
containing up to 60% of lignin [15]. Although there was an
56 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Basics
advanced product development market transfer was not
accomplished.
A lot of attempts have been made to use lignin as polyols
for polyurethanes (PU) [16]. Depending on the PU-forming
isocyanates, the material properties range between very
brittle and soft. Most typical applications are foams.
In nature lignin acts also as a protecting agent and
neutralises aggressive intermediates like free radicals [17].
These effects are interesting to protect polymers of PE-, PPor
PVC-type. Blending of such polymers with lignin give hope
for longer life cycles of the ensuing products [18].
In general, material development using lignin is a
challenging area where well-defined and adapted lignin
properties are required. From the branched complex
chemical structure, applications in and for cross linking
systems, i.e. resins and thermosets, seem to be the natural
choice. However, thermoplastic applications have also been
attempted with remarkable success.
Thermoplastic lignin-containing products are produced
by the German company Tecnaro GmbH [19] with an annual
capacity of 3000 tonnes for their three production lines
Arboform ® , Arboblend ® , and Arbofill ® (see page 22). Mixtures
of lignin and natural fibres are thermoplastically processed in
a similar way to conventional thermoplastics for their ‘liquid
wood’ Arboform. Sectors of application are jewellery, toys,
souvenirs, furniture, consumer articles, automotive interiors,
and even Gucci shoes (Fig. 8).
Presently, there is a strong market demand for carbon
fibres, mainly driven by the aircraft and automotive industries.
The usual precursor, apart from cellulose and mesophase
pitch, is polyacrylonitrile (PAN) [20]. The possibilities of
using lignin to produce a precursor fibre have been studied
intensively by several groups. However, the carbon fibre’s
mechanical properties achieved so far [21] are in the range
of high performance cellulose fibres, such as rayon tire cord
yarn.
One prominent example for the conversion of lignin,
lignosulphonates, or Kraft lignins into a pure chemical
substance is vanillin (s. Figure 6) [22]. The production capacity
is in an order of magnitude of 1500 tonnes/a.
Degradation of lignin and further transformation steps to
vanillin are achieved by chemical reactions. Biotechnological
processes are also possible but there is no industrial scale
production at the moment [23].
The efficiency of lignin as bio-based feedstock depends
not only on its application as oligomer and polymer but also
success in lignin degradation and the production of platform
chemicals and building blocks with defined structures and
high degree of purity complete the material concept. Just
this combination has the high potential to stimulate lignin
utilization today and in the future.
Figure 5: Structure of vanillin
CHO
OH
OCH 3
References
[1] ACS Symposium Series 742 Lignin: Historical, Biological,
and Materials Perspectives; edited by: W. G. Glasser, R.
A. Northey, and T. P. Schultz, American Chemical Society,
Washington, DC, 2000.
[2] Freudenberg, K. und A.C. Neish (1968): „Constitution and
Biosynthesis
of Lignin.” Springer Verlag. Heidelberg-Berlin-New York
[3] Toland J, Galasso L, Lees D, Rodden G, in Pulp Paper
International, Vol. Paperloop, 2002, p. 5.
[4] http://www.metso.com/pulpandpaper/recovery_boiler_prod.
nsf/WebWID/WTB-090513-22575-6FE87
[5] http://www.innventia.com/templates/STFIPage____8733.
aspx
[6] http://gruberscript.net/Zellstoffscript/14Alternative_
Aufschlussverfahren.pdf
[7] http://www.lignol.ca
[8] http://www.biobased.nl/lignovalue
[9] http://www.igb.fraunhofer.de/www/gf/cbp-leuna/start.
en.html
[10] K.H. Kleinemeier in O.Faix und D. Meier (Hrsg) 1st
European Workshop on Lignocellulosics and Pulp, 1990,
Verlag M. Wiedebusch, Hamburg 1991
[11] http://www.innventia.com/templates/STFIPage_8734.aspx
[12] http://www.indiamart.com/alm-pvtltd
[13] Elke Fliedner, Wolfgang Heep und Hendrikus W. G. van
Herwijnen, „Verwendung nachwachsender Rohstoffe in
Bindemitteln für Holzwerkstoffe”,. Chemie Ingenieur
Technik 2010, 82, 1161-1168
[14] www.mwv.com
[15] Lora, Jairo H., and W. G. Glasser. 2002. Recent Industrial
Applications of Lignin - A Sustainable Alternative to
Nonrenewable Materials. Journal of Polymers and the
Environment 10 (1/2), 39-48.
[16] C. Ciobanua, M. Ungureanua, L. Ignata, D. Ungureanub and
V. I. Popa; “Properties of lignin–polyurethane films prepared
by casting method”, Industrial Crops and Products 20 (2004)
231–241
[17] XUEJUN PAN,* JOHN F. KADLA, KATSUNOBU EHARA,
NEIL GILKES, AND JACK N. SADDLER, ” Organosolv
Ethanol Lignin from Hybrid Poplar as a Radical Scavenger:
Relationship between Lignin Structure, Extraction
Conditions, and Antioxidant Activity”, J. Agric. Food Chem.
2006, 54, 5806-5813
[18] Nitz et al., Kunststoffe 91 (2001), 98-101
[19] www.tecnaro.de
[20] E. Bittmann, “Das schwarze Gold des Leichtbaus”,
Kunststoffe 2006, 76-82
[21] J.F. Kadla et al., „Lignin-based carbon fibers for
composites fiber applications“; Carbon40 (2002) 2913-2920)
[22] Hocking, M. B., J. Chem. Educ., (1997) 74, 1055
[23] https://noppa.tkk.fi/noppa/kurssi/ke-40.9920/luennot/KE-
40_9920_vanillin_from_lignin.pdf
www.iap.fraunhofer.de
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 57

Personality
Jim Lunt
bM: Dear Dr. Lunt, when
and where were you born?
JL: I was born in 1947
in St. Helens, Lancashire,
UK
bM: Where do you live
today and since when?
JL: In 1981 I moved to
Canada then to Massachusetts
in 1990 and in
1993 to Minneapolis, MN, USA where I still live today.
bM: What is your education?
JL: I obtained my PhD in Plastics Processing at the
University of Liverpool, UK.
bM: What is your professional function today?
JL: I am the Vice President Sales & Marketing for Tianan
Biologic Material Co. Ltd., I am also an independent
consultant in biomaterials.
bM: How did you ‘come to’ bioplastics?
JL: I started my career in the UK in 1964, developing oil
based plastic composites designed to displace metals. Early
in the 1990’s we saw a growing concern around the end-oflife
of traditional plastics which were ending up in landfills or
as litter. While working at Nova Corp. we focused on making
plastics UV-degradable. The initiative unfortunately failed
due to a perception that it would encourage littering, which
of course was not the intent. We were concentrating on how
to collect and convert the material back to monomers when
we learned of Cargill’s interest in producing a compostable
plastic called polylactic acid (PLA)
bM: What do you consider more important: ‘biobased’ or
‘biodegradable’?
JL: I’ve seen a continuing transition in biopolymers since
the early days. Initially, focus was on compostability, this
moved to encompass renewable content, and finally to overall
sustainability, effect on human health and environmental
impact. This transition is primarily due to societal changes,
lack of a composting infrastructure and the need for higher
performance in many durable plastics applications. Many
compostable plastics still end up in landfills. There is a
growing demand for durable plastics based on renewable
resources. Today around 12% of all bioplastics are for
durable applications. This may increase to 40% in 2030 (as
stated by European Bioplastics).
bM: What is your biggest achievement (in terms of bioplastics)
so far?
JL: When I Joined Cargill in 1993 to work on PLA with
Pat Gruber, there were very few people involved in this
effort. I am one of the founder members of what was then
called EcoPLA. I am also a founder member of Cargill Dow
and Natureworks LLC. By 2005 the company had grown to
around 240 people and the product was renamed Ingeo PLA.
At Cargill we developed the initial prototype products and
developed the infrastructure for 12.000 ton and eventually a
150.000 ton plant. I am a joint recipient of the Presidential
Green Chemistry Challenge Award for work in this area.
bM: What are your biggest challenges for the future?
JL: To enable Tianan, one of my largest clients, to be
recognised as a reputable supplier of PHBV products with
unique properties and then to scale-up. Many people still
don’t think well about Chinese producers - but China is
developing extremely fast! I am motivated to do my best
in whatever I undertake and continue to learn, this is my
personality.
bM: What is your family status?
JL: I am happily married. We have 34 year old daughter
(Freelance Art Director/Designer), married and living in
Minneapolis, and also a 40 year old son (Engineer) married
and living with his family in Calgary, Alberta. My son has two
children.
bM: What is your favourite movie?
JL: Star Trek series, followed closely by Milcho
Manchevski’s ‘Before the Rain’.
bM: What is your favourite book?
JL: ‘The Long Walk’ by Slavomir Rawicz and ‘Endurance:
Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage’ by Alfred Lansing.
bM: What is your favourite (or your next) vacation location?
JL: I prefer Europe. I spent wonderful days in the area of
Colmar/Straßburg (France). Also the UK of course since I
am British by birth.
bM: What do you eat for breakfast on a Sunday?
JL: Healthy things like cereals, grains and raisins with
yoghurt!
bM: What is your ‘slogan’?
JL: Never look back, always forward, learn and have fun
at the same time!
bM: Thank you!
58 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Event Calendar
Feb. 22-24, 2011
Sustainability in Packaging
Orlando, Florida, USA
www.sustainability-in-packaging.com
March 01,2011
Linking Bio-based Materials to Renewable Energy Production
The Geological Society, London
www.nnfcc.co.uk
March 7-8, 2011
IV International Seminar on Biopolymers and Sustainable Composites
Sorolla Palace Hotel - valencia (Spain)
www.polimerosbiodegradables.com / info@polimersbiodegradables.com
March 15-16, 2011
4th International Congress on Bio-based Plastics and Composites
4. Biowerkstoffkongress 2011
Maternushaus, Cologne, Germany
www.biowerkstoff-kongress.de
March 22 – 23, 2011
Bio-based Chemicals
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
www.worldbiofuelsmarkets.com/biochem
March 22 – 24, 2011
World Biofuels Markets
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
www.worldbiofuelsmarkets.com
March 29 – 30, 2011
Bioplastics Compounding and Processing 2011
International industry conference on the profitable
use of bioplastics
The Hilton Miami Downtown, Miami, Florida, USA
www2.amiplastics.com
March 30 – 31, 2011
3. Fachtagung: Biopolymere in Folienanwendungen
Würzburg/Germany
www.skz.de
April 6-7, 2011
Envase Sustenable MEXICO
Hotel Camino Real, Mexico City, Mexico
Event Calendar
May 23–24, 2011
5th Bioplastics Markets
The Langham, Hong Kong
www.cmtevents.com
Jun 30 - Jul 01, 2011
Nachhaltige Verpackung, Grüne Logistik, Biokunststoffe
deuschsprachiges Seminar
BUTTING-Akademie, Burg Knesebeck, Germany
www.wertstoffberatung.de/
Sept. 25-29, 2011
8th European Congress of Chemical Engineering and
1st European Congress of Applied Biotechnology
(together with ProcessNet Annual Meeting 2011 and
DECHEMA‘s Biotechnology Annual Meeting)
Berlin, Germany
www.dechema.de
Oct. 17-19, 2011
GPEC 2011 (SPE‘s Global Plastics Environmental Conference)
The Atlanta Peachtree Westin Hotel, Atlanta, GA, USA
www.4spe.org
Feb. 20-22, 2012
Innovation Takes Root 2012
Omni ChampionsGate Resort in Orlando, Florida, USA.
www.innovationtakesroot.com
magnetic_148,5x105.ai 175.00 lpi 15.00° 75.00° 0.00° 45.00° 14.03.2009 10:13:31
Prozess CyanProzess MagentaProzess GelbProzess Schwarz
Magnetic
You can meet us!
Please contact us in advance by e-mail.
for Plastics
www.elempaque.com/seminarios
April 06-07, 2011
Plastics in Automotive Engineering
VDI, Rosengarten, Mannheim, Germany
www.vdi-wissensforum.de
April 12 - 13, 2011
4. BioKunststoffe 2011 (Tagungsveranstaltung)
Hannover
www.hanser-tagungen.de
May 9-10, 2011
ecoPack systems
Düsseldorf, Germany
www.petnology.com
May 12-18, 2011
interpack 2011
Düsseldorf, Germany
interpack.com
May 18-19, 2011
Eco-friendly Plastic Materials and Machinery Conference
China Import & Export Fair Pazhou Complex, Guangzhou, PR China
www.chinaplasonline.com
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
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

Suppliers Guide
1. Raw Materials
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
150
160
170
180
190
200
210
220
230
240
250
260
270
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
1.1 bio based monomers
PURAC division
Arkelsedijk 46, P.O. Box 21
4200 AA Gorinchem -
The Netherlands
Tel.: +31 (0)183 695 695
Fax: +31 (0)183 695 604
www.purac.com
PLA@purac.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
Cereplast Inc.
Tel: +1 310-676-5000 / Fax: -5003
pravera@cereplast.com
www.cereplast.com
European distributor A.Schulman :
Tel +49 (2273) 561 236
christophe_cario@de.aschulman.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
Kingfa Sci. & Tech. Co., Ltd.
Gaotang Industrial Zone, Tianhe,
Guangzhou, P.R.China.
Tel: +86 (0)20 87215915
Fax: +86 (0)20 87037111
info@ecopond.com.cn
www.ecopond.com.cn
FLEX-262/162 Biodegradable
Blown Film Resin!
Natur-Tec ® - Northern Technologies
4201 Woodland Road
Circle Pines, MN 55014 USA
Tel. +1 763.225.6600
Fax +1 763.225.6645
info@natur-tec.com
www.natur-tec.com
Transmare Compounding B.V.
Ringweg 7, 6045 JL
Roermond, The Netherlands
Tel. +31 475 345 900
Fax +31 475 345 910
info@transmare.nl
www.compounding.nl
1.3 PLA
Shenzhen Brightchina 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
Jean-Pierre Le Flanchec
3 rue Scheffer
75116 Paris cedex, France
Tel: +33 (0)1 53 65 23 00
Fax: +33 (0)1 53 65 81 99
biosphere@biosphere.eu
www.biosphere.eu
Grace Biotech Corporation
Tel: +886-3-598-6496
No. 91, Guangfu N. Rd., Hsinchu
Industrial Park,Hukou Township,
Hsinchu County 30351, Taiwan
sales@grace-bio.com.tw
www.grace-bio.com.tw
PSM Bioplastic NA
Chicago, USA
www.psmna.com
+1-630-393-0012
1.5 PHA
Division of A&O FilmPAC Ltd
7 Osier Way, Warrington Road
GB-Olney/Bucks.
MK46 5FP
Tel.: +44 1234 714 477
Fax: +44 1234 713 221
sales@aandofilmpac.com
www.bioresins.eu
Telles, Metabolix – ADM joint venture
650 Suffolk Street, Suite 100
Lowell, MA 01854 USA
Tel. +1-97 85 13 18 00
Fax +1-97 85 13 18 86
www.mirelplastics.com
Tianan Biologic
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
2. Additives /
Secondary raw materials
Sukano AG
Chaltenbodenstrasse 23
CH-8834 Schindellegi
Tel. +41 44 787 57 77
Fax +41 44 787 57 78
www.sukano.com
3. Semi finished products
3.1 films
Huhtamaki Forchheim
Sonja Haug
Zweibrückenstraße 15-25
91301 Forchheim
Tel. +49-9191 81203
Fax +49-9191 811203
www.huhtamaki-films.com
www.earthfirstpla.com
www.sidaplax.com
www.plasticsuppliers.com
Sidaplax UK : +44 (1) 604 76 66 99
Sidaplax Belgium: +32 9 210 80 10
Plastic Suppliers: +1 866 378 4178
Taghleef Industries SpA, Italy
Via E. Fermi, 46
33058 San Giorgio di Nogaro (UD)
Contact Frank Ernst
Tel. +49 2402 7096989
Mobile +49 160 4756573
frank.ernst@ti-films.com
www.ti-films.com
3.1.1 cellulose based films
INNOVIA FILMS LTD
Wigton
Cumbria CA7 9BG
England
Contact: Andy Sweetman
Tel. +44 16973 41549
Fax +44 16973 41452
andy.sweetman@innoviafilms.com
www.innoviafilms.com
4. Bioplastics products
alesco GmbH & Co. KG
Schönthaler Str. 55-59
D-52379 Langerwehe
Sales Germany: +49 2423 402 110
Sales Belgium: +32 9 2260 165
Sales Netherlands: +31 20 5037 710
info@alesco.net | www.alesco.net
Postbus 26
7480 AA Haaksbergen
The Netherlands
Tel.: +31 616 121 843
info@bio4pack.com
www.bio4pack.com
Cortec® Corporation
4119 White Bear Parkway
St. Paul, MN 55110
Tel. +1 800.426.7832
Fax 651-429-1122
info@cortecvci.com
www.cortecvci.com
Eco Cortec®
31 300 Beli Manastir
Bele Bartoka 29
Croatia, MB: 1891782
Tel. +385 31 7005 011
Fax +385 31 705 012
info@ecocortec.hr
www.ecocortec.hr
60 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6

Suppliers Guide
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
esmy325@ms51.hinet.net
Skype esmy325
www.minima-tech.com
NOVAMONT S.p.A.
Via Fauser , 8
28100 Novara - ITALIA
Fax +39.0321.699.601
Tel. +39.0321.699.611
www.novamont.com
WEI MON INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
2F, No.57, Singjhong Rd.,
Neihu District,
Taipei City 114, Taiwan, R.O.C.
Tel. + 886 - 2 - 27953131
Fax + 886 - 2 - 27919966
sales@weimon.com.tw
www.plandpaper.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
4.1 trays
5. Traders
5.1 wholesale
6. Equipment
6.1 Machinery & Molds
FAS Converting Machinery AB
O Zinkgatan 1/ Box 1503
27100 Ystad, Sweden
Tel.: +46 411 69260
www.fasconverting.com
Roll-o-Matic A/S
Petersmindevej 23
5000 Odense C, Denmark
Tel. + 45 66 11 16 18
Fax + 45 66 14 32 78
rom@roll-o-matic.com
www.roll-o-matic.com
MANN+HUMMEL ProTec GmbH
Stubenwald-Allee 9
64625 Bensheim, Deutschland
Tel. +49 6251 77061 0
Fax +49 6251 77061 510
info@mh-protec.com
www.mh-protec.com
6.2 Laboratory Equipment
MODA : Biodegradability Analyzer
Saida FDS Incorporated
3-6-6 Sakae-cho, Yaizu,
Shizuoka, Japan
Tel : +81-90-6803-4041
info@saidagroup.jp
www.saidagroup.jp
7. Plant engineering
Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH
Holzhauser Str. 157 - 159
13509 Berlin
Germany
Tel. +49 (0)30 43567 5
Fax +49 (0)30 43567 699
sales.de@thyssenkrupp.com
www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com
8. Ancillary equipment
9. Services
Siemensring 79
47877 Willich, Germany
Tel.: +49 2154 9251-0 , Fax: -51
thomas.wodke@umsicht.fhg.de
www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de
nova-Institut GmbH
Chemiepark Knapsack
Industriestrasse 300
50354 Huerth, Germany
Tel.: +49(0)2233-48-14 40
Fax: +49(0)2233-48-14 5
10. Institutions
10.1 Associations
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
10.2 Universities
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
University of Applied Sciences
Faculty II, Department
of Bioprocess Engineering
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans-Josef Endres
Heisterbergallee 12
30453 Hannover, Germany
Tel. +49 (0)511-9296-2212
Fax +49 (0)511-9296-2210
hans-josef.endres@fh-hannover.de
www.fakultaet2.fh-hannover.de
Simply contact:
Tel.: +49 02351 67100-0
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
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com
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10
20
30
35
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
BPI - The Biodegradable
Products Institute
331 West 57th Street, Suite 415
New York, NY 10019, USA
Tel. +1-888-274-5646
info@bpiworld.org
bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/11] Vol. 6 61

Companies in this issue
Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert
A&O Filmpac 60
AIMPLAS 15
AkzoNobel 30
Alesco 60
API 47 60
BASF 29, 37, 47
Bio4Pack 60
BioBag Austria 45
Biomer 15
BIOMOOD 47
bioplastics24 62
Biopolymer Network 40
BioPro 16
Bioresins.eu 9 60
Biosphere 60
BPI 61
Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen 6
Cargill 56
CBP Leuna 56
Cereplast 6, 10 60
Clarifoil 44
CNRS 48
Coca-Cola 9
Coldiretti 6
COZA 22
CTAG 15
DIN Certco 47
DuPont 12 1, 60
Ecomann 9
Econcore 7
ecoPack Systems 39
Edding 22
EuPC 6
European Bioplastics 7 41
European Industrial Hemp Association 26
European Plastics News 7
FAS Converting 61
FH Hannover 61
Fischer Automotive Systems 16
FkuR 6 2,6
FkuR 15 2, 60
Fraunhofer IAP 54
Fraunhofer UMSICHT 15 61
Freedonia 5
Fujitsu 22
Grace Bio 60
Grupo Antolin 15
Gucci 56
Hallink 61
Huhtamaki 60
IMM 22
Infinity Foods 44
InnoPlast Solutions 9
Innovia Films 44 60
Istituto di Chimica e Tecnologia die 34
Polimeri
Jim Lunt Associates 9
Joseph Fourier University Grenoble 48
Karl Marbach 45
Kingfa 60
Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry 42
Laurel BioCompostite 23
Lexus 19
LignoTech 23
Lignovalue 56
Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients 60
Mann + Hummel 61
McDonalds 44
MEGA TECH 15
Messe Düsseldorf (interpack) 27
Michigan State University 61
Minima Technology 60
NanoBioMatters 15
NatureWorks 39, 45, 46, 58
Natur-Tec 60
nova-Institut 16, 26 61
Novamont 8, 29 60,64
Organic Waste Systems 20
Pactiv 46
PIEP 15
Plastic Engineering Associates Licensing 39
Plastic Suppliers 60
Plasticker 59
Plastiroll 8
President Packaging 61
PSM 51, 60
Purac 7, 15, 30 9, 60
Robert Bosch 17
Roll-o-Matic 61
Saida 61
Scion 23, 40
Shenzen Brightchina 60
Showa Denko 60
Sidaplax 60
Sony 22
Sukano 60
Synbra 28, 30
Taghleef Industries 11, 61
Takata Petri 12
Tecnaro 22, 45, 57
Telles 60, 63
Tianan Biologic 60
Toyota 18, 19
Transmare 60
TÜV Rheinland 47
Uhde Inventa-Fischer 61
University of Minho 15
University of Brescia 20
University of Guelph 52
University of Konstanz 24
University of Pisa 20, 42
University of Toronto 36
University of Wageningen 29
University of Wisconsin 36
USDA 11
VTT 15
Wei Mon 25, 61
Wuhan Huali (PSM) 51
Editorial Planner 2011
Month Publ.-Date Edit/Ad/Deadl. Editorial Focus (1) Editorial Focus (2) Basics Fair Specials
Mar/Apr 04.04.2011 11.03.2011 Rigid Packaging / Trays Catering Products Bioplastics in Packaging interpack Preview
May/Jun 06.06.2011 13.05.2011 Beauty & Healthcare Thermoset PHA (update) interpack Rreview
Jul/Aug 01.08.2011 08.07.2011 Bottles / Blow Moulding End-of-Life Options Stretch Blow Moulding
Sep/Oct 04.10.2011 09.09.2011 Fibers / Textiles / Nonwovens Paper Coating Algae
Nov/Dec 05.12.2011 11.11.2011 Films / Flexibles / Bags Consumer Electronics Film-Blowing
62 bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/10] Vol. 5

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.
www.novamont.com
Inventor of the year 2007
Mater-Bi ® : certified biodegradable and compostable.