issue 05/2021

News
daily updated News at
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com
Arburg successfully
tests Inzea PLA
At its Customer Center in Lossburg, Germany, Arburg
regularly carries out processing tests on biobased
plastics, including the INZEA ® product family from
Nurel (Zaragoza, Spain) and distributed in Germany
by Biesterfeld (Hamburg). The injection moulding
machine manufacturer found that the PLA compound
can be used to produce high-quality parts with high
process reliability and without the need for additional
machine equipment.
The biobased and compostable product family is
based on PLA. Some types also contain a proportion
of starch. Inzea is suitable for injection moulding,
extrusion, and thermoforming.
The product family can be used in a wide range
of applications. It is suitable for food contact in
accordance with Regulation (EU) 10/2011, particularly
in the household segment, catering, packaging, and
agriculture. Typical applications for Inzea include
plastic bags, coffee capsules, bottles, and boxes. The
product family can also be used in many other shortlifespan
applications as well as in 3D printing.
The processing test at Arburg was based on the
processing parameters specified in the product datasheet.
During the test the screw geometry and process
parameters were varied and the resulting effects on
the quality of the parts were analysed. Parameters
such as the cylinder and hot-runner temperature,
dosing speed, back pressure, and injection speed were
investigated.
The results revealed that Inzea achieved by far the
best result in the materials test. Production on the
basis of the parameters in the product data-sheet was
reported to be problem-free, resulting in moulded parts
of the highest quality with a high degree of process
reliability. The effect of the moisture content was also
analysed, and it was found that, although additional
drying as specified in the product data-sheet was not
necessary, ample drying with a vacuum dryer resulted
in even better part quality. Only extreme stresses such
as hot runners with long flow channels had, as would
be expected, a negative impact on part quality due to
thermal damage. Additional comparisons with a fossilbased
ABS confirmed that Inzea offers an excellent
alternative to fossil-derived materials.
"There is a growing interest in alternative plastics
among our customers," says Bertram Stern, Sustainability
Manager at Arburg. "Depending on the application, biobased
plastics offer advantages in terms of resource efficiency and
disposal. With respect to processing, we've demonstrated
that our Allrounder machines can be optimally adjusted to
the required material-specific process parameters." MT
www.arburg.com
www.biesterfeld.com
https://biopolymers.nurel.com
Newlight and Nike
partner to reduce
carbon footprint
Newlight Technologies (Huntington Beach, California,
USA) has announced a partnership with Nike
(headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, USA) to explore
the use of AirCarbon, a carbon-negative biomaterial
produced by microorganisms from the ocean.
Nike will explore the use of AirCarbon in a variety of
applications, with the goal to advance Nike's mission
to create products that are better for athletes and the
planet.
AirCarbon pellets and AirCarbon leather
AirCarbon is currently used in fashion applications
as a carbon-negative substitute to plastic and leather,
including for eyewear, wallets, and bags.
"AirCarbon offers an opportunity to further reduce
our impact on the planet," said Nike Chief Sustainability
Officer Noel Kinder. "Materials account for 70 % of Nike's
total carbon footprint, and we're accelerating our efforts
and exploring new opportunities in this space because,
in the race against climate change, we can't wait for
solutions, we have to work together to create them."
Newlight uses naturally occurring microorganisms
from the ocean that eat air and greenhouse gas and
convert it inside of their cells into AirCarbon: an energy
storage material, also known as polyhydroxybutyrate (or
PHB), that is approximately 40 % oxygen from air and
60 % carbon from greenhouse gas by weight. AirCarbon
is certified carbon-negative by SCS Global Services,
resulting in a net reduction in CO 2
in the atmosphere
through production, and can be melted into a range of
forms, from fibre and sheet to solid shapes.
"Our mission is change at scale, and there are few
better partners in the world than Nike to help achieve
that," said Newlight CEO, Mark Herrema. "We are
excited to explore how AirCarbon can help Nike achieve
its ambitious carbon-reduction goals."MT
www.newlight.com
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6 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/21] Vol. 16