Issue 04/2023

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8 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/23] Vol. 18 News daily updated News at www.bioplasticsmagazine.com Braskem expands Its biopolymer production by 30 % In June, Braskem (São Paulo, Brazil) concluded a 30 % increase in the production capacity of its biobased ethylene plant, located in the Petrochemical Complex of Triunfo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The USD 87 million investment aims to meet the growing global demand for sustainable products The plant now operates at an increased capacity, from 200,000 to 260,000 tonnes/year. Braskem’s biobased ethylene is made from sustainably sourced, sugarcanebased ethanol which removes CO 2 from the atmosphere and stores it in products for daily use. The initiative is an important advance in the company's ambition to increase the production of biopolymers to one million tonnes by 2030, and to become carbon neutral by 2050. "The expansion of biobased ethylene capacity reinforces Braskem’s commitment to sustainable development and innovation and proves the success of the strategy we engaged in thirteen years ago, when we launched the world’s first biobased polyethylene production at industrial scale, with proprietary technology. We want to meet society's and customers' demand for products with less impact on the environment”, explains Walmir Soller, VP Olefins/Polyolefins for Europe and Asia and responsible for the I’m green TM biobased business globally. Each tonne of plastic resin made from renewable feedstock represents the removal of three tonnes of CO 2 from the atmosphere. Since the plant's beginning in 2010, more than 1.2 million tonnes of I’m green biobased polyethylene have been produced. The recent increase in production capacity will remove approximately 185,000 tonnes of CO 2 equivalent per year. Braskem is the world leader in the production of biopolymers. Today, the portfolio of biobased resins is exported to more than 30 countries and is used in products from more than 250 major brands, such as Allbirds, DUO UK, Grupo Boticário, Johnson & Johnson, Natura & Co, Nissin, and Tetra Pak. These biobased resins are used to manufacture packaging, bags, toys, housewares, industrial cables and wires, packaging films, hockey fields, and reusable water bottles, among many other products. The development and production of ethylene and resins from biobased sources is the result of Braskem's continued investment in disruptive innovation and technology. Research, digital transformation, and bold partnerships are the foundations upon which Braskem searches for, and scales, sustainable solutions for society and the environment. Braskem’s current sustainability commitments include improving the circularity of plastics, promoting human-centric development, and leading the revolution in biobased materials. MT www.braskem.com New process for biobased nylon A research team from the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and Leipzig University (both Leipzig, Germany) has now developed a process that can produce adipic acid, one of two building blocks of nylon, from phenol through electrochemical synthesis and the use of microorganisms. The team also showed that phenol can be replaced by waste materials from the wood industry. This could then be used to produce biobased nylon. The research work was published in Green Chemistry. In T-shirts, stockings, shirts, and ropes – or as a component of parachutes and car tyres – polyamides are used everywhere as synthetic fibres. At the end of the 1930s, the name Nylon was coined for such synthetic polyamides. Nylon-6 and Nylon-6.6 are two polyamides that account for around 95 % of the global nylon market. Until now, they have been produced from fossil-based raw materials. However, this petrochemical process is harmful to the environment because it emits around 10 % of the climate-damaging nitrous oxide (laughing gas) worldwide and requires a great deal of energy. "Our goal is to make the entire nylon production chain environmentally friendly. This is possible if we access biobased waste as feedstock and make the synthesis process sustainable", says Falk Harnisch, head of the Electrobiotechnology working group at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ). MT www.ufz.de Certification scheme for home Compostable carrier bags Since July 2023, DIN CERTCO (Berlin, Germany) offers a new certification scheme according to the new standard EN 17427:2022 "Packaging – Requirements and test scheme for carrier bags suitable for treatment in well-managed home composting installations". With this certification scheme, carrier bags, fruit and vegetable bags, and (organic) waste bags can be labelled with the trusted certification mark "DINplus Home Compostable Carrier Bags". The modular certification scheme can also be used to certify the corresponding materials and semi-finished items With this unique certification system according to a European standard, trust is created along the entire value chain of manufacturers, retailers, consumers, and regulatory authorities. MT www.dincertco.de
ioplastics MAGAZINE [04/23] Vol. 18 9 Paques and Senbis collaborate on PHA Paques Biomaterials (Balk, the Netherlands) and Senbis Polymer Innovations (Emmen, the Netherlands) have partnered strategically to develop new applications for a breakthrough biopolymer with all the advantages of conventional plastics but without its disadvantages. Paques Biomaterials has been working on a new value chain in which bacteria in organic waste streams produce the biopolymer PHA for more than ten years. “Our background is in biotechnology”, says Joost Paques, founder of Paques Biomaterials, “and with this collaboration, biotechnology and chemistry join forces which is a formula for success for a biopolymer. We are convinced we will soon produce a high-quality alternative to fossil plastics, which can be widely applied and prevent microplastics”. Senbis Polymer Innovations is a chemical R&D company specialising in biopolymers. “We will help Paques Biomaterials develop different PHA grades suitable for a wide range of applications”, explains Gerard Nijhoving, managing director of Senbis. “Paques Biomaterials develops the PHA, but we give direction on which way it must be developed and then evaluate it. Paques Biomaterials has a promising biopolymer in hand with Caleyda. It is biobased and highly biodegradable in all kinds of environments. Their product is unique because it is made from waste streams and doesn’t use genetically modified bacteria. That makes it sustainable and natural on all sides. This involves a major challenge to deliver consistent quality, as for plastic processing purity is the key. Senbis has all commercially available biopolymers inhouse and has researched them. We know what works for which application. Many PHAs we see now need to catch up in mechanical and thermal properties compared to other bioplastics. If we can improve these topics with Paques Biomaterials, their PHA Caleyda will soon be a serious player in the market”. “We also see much potential for this material for socalled compounds. That means mixing the PHA with other biopolymers. For some applications, you need a mix of bioplastics to get the required mechanical properties and velocity of biodegradability”, says Gerard Nijhoving. “Like applications such as injection moulding, yarns, 3D printing or films. With this knowledge, Paques Biomaterials can optimise Caleyda where necessary, and we work together towards a high-quality PHA. Furthermore, you can use these compounds to serve new applications. We also see opportunities for this in our customer portfolio and even within our product development”. The beginning of this new circular value chain is already at an advanced stage. Paques Biomaterials has already signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Kolon Industries and Kolon Global in South Korea, launching large-scale production of PHA from food waste. In Europe, the first full-scale plants in which bacteria make PHA in industrial wastewater, sewage sludge, and organic waste streams (vegetable/fruit waste) are also under development. In cooperation with five Dutch Water Boards and waste and energy company HVC, Paques Biomaterials has been optimising this process with a demo plant in the last few years. The PHA biomass is a reality, and in the next phase of the value chain, this biomass will be extracted and purified into a clean biopolymer PHA called Caleyda. For this phase, the cooperation with Senbis is crucial. With their knowledge and expertise, Paques Biomaterials will make Caleyda, a natural and high-quality bioplastic without the disadvantages of fossil plastics. AT www.paquesbiomaterials.nl | www.senbis.com daily updated News at Avantium and SCGC partner on CO 2 – based polymers Avantium (Amsterdam, the Netherlands), a leading technology provider in renewable chemistry, announces that it has agreed to partner with SCGC (Bangkok, Thailand), a leading integrated chemical player in Asia and an innovator of chemical innovations and solutions. Under this partnership, Avantium and SCGC agreed to further develop CO 2 -based polymers and to scale up to a pilot plant with an indicative capacity of 10 tonnes per annum. Avantium is a frontrunner in developing and commercialising innovative technologies for the production of chemicals and materials based on sustainable carbon feedstocks, i.e. carbon from plants or carbon from the air (CO 2 ). One of Avantium’s innovative technology platforms, called Volta Technology, uses electrochemistry to convert CO 2 to high-value products and chemical building blocks including glycolic acid. By combining glycolic acid with lactic acid, Avantium can produce polylacticco-glycolic acid (PLGA), a carbon-negative polymer with valuable characteristics: it has an excellent barrier against oxygen and moisture, has good mechanical properties, is recyclable and is both home compostable and marine degradable. This makes PLGA a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative to, for example, non-degradable, fossil-based polymers. Since early 2023, Avantium and SCGC have been working together to further evaluate PLGA. To this end, Avantium has produced samples of different PLGAs, which have been evaluated at SCGC’s Norner AS facility. The two parties have now agreed to take the next step in their cooperation and establish a Joint Development Agreement. Under this agreement, Avantium and SCGC intend to further evaluate PLGA in order to subsequently scale up production of glycolic acid monomer and PLGA polyester in the next two years to a pilot plant. “We are delighted that we have entered into this partnership with SCGC, a partner that understands that innovation and bold action is the key to lasting positive impact for a sustainable future. Under this partnership, we can further develop the very promising carbon-negative plastic PLGA and bring this material to the next commercialization phase. Both Avantium and SCGC would also welcome other strategic and complementary partners to participate in this collaboration”, says Tom van Aken, CEO at Avantium. AT www.avantium.com | www.scgchemicals.com
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