Issue 05/2023

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On-site Bioplastics experts Renewable Carbon Plastics visited FKuR in Willich, Germany Two friends who studied plastics engineering at RWTH University Aachen (Germany) and earned their doctorates in the 1980s met a few years later at a trade show in Germany. It was in those days that plastics recycling became kind of a hot topic for the first time. But it seemed that nobody really felt responsible to take the lead here. So, Heinz Breuer and Edmund Dolfen had the idea, that a kind of recycling institute was needed. Heinz Breuer, who was a professor at the University for Applied Sciences in Krefeld (Germany) at that time, suggested to simply found such an institute connected to the university. And so, in 1992, they did it. Research Institute With a start-up funding from the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the institute started with a name that today will certainly ring in many ears: FKuR. This abbreviation stands for the German words for Research Institute for Plastics and Recycling. Almost at the same time, a support association was founded to determine the destiny and research goals, along with additional industrial funding. The total number of about 60 members included machine manufacturers, recycling companies, and others, but also the DKR (German Society for Circular Economy and Raw Materials, creator of the Green Dot). First research topics included the recycling of rubber tyres or plastic pallets. Services like consulting and certification rounded off the FKuR portfolio. Our Michael Thielen remembers very well his visit to the first Recycling Colloquium in Krefeld, a conference with 40 exhibitors. And finally, the FKuR also founded the first Quality Association for Recycled Standard Polymers to prove and certify that plastic recyclates can indeed offer reproducible qualities. Plastics – made by nature! End of the 1990s, plastics recycling had outgrown its infancy in Germany. At the time, Edmund Dolfen was convinced that nature itself is the best recycler. That was the time when FKuR focused on the development of biodegradable plastics. “Not many in the market believed in bioplastics end of the nineties”, says Patrick Zimmermann, today one of the three managing directors of FKuR, “bioplastics were a child treated stepmotherly and not given much chance for the future”. “As a matter of fact, in the context of the circular economy and the waste management legislation different endof-life options were discussed”, adds Carmen Michels, Managing Director of FKuR, “and organic recycling is definitely a solution”. Already experienced in the field of conventional recycling, including the technologies of sorting, cleaning, preparation, and compounding, it was just a logical step to investigate biodegradable plastics, Carmen explains. And soon it became a specialty of FKuR to develop tailor-made compounds for certain applications. A first example was a biodegradable packaging for poultry meat with certain water vapour barrier and flexibility properties. The result was a special compound based on PLA, a biodegradable copolyester, and certain fillers to laminate already existing starch-based trays. “The challenge was to create a compound that would offer all: the biodegradability, water vapour barrier, flexibility (not too stiff and not too soft) that could be processed on a film blowing line and subsequently be laminated onto a tray in a kind of thermoforming process”, Patrick explains. The first range of products included different PLA/ copolyester compounds branded as Bioflex ® , soon to be followed by the Biograde ® cellulose acetate-based materials. For Biograde Patrick describes the challenges with the need for a biodegradable heat-resistant material that can be injection moulded in short cycletimes, and transparent, if desired. The experience and know-how in the area of compounding, finding the secret recipe to build on the strengths of the individual ingredients while offsetting their weaknesses, would become a core competence of FKuR. In 1998, FKuR started its cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute UMSICHT (Oberhausen, Germany), which soon proved to be a fruitful symbiosis. A new company As the scope of material developments took on an everincreasing scale, and the need to commercially produce larger amounts of resins increased, the decision was made in 2003 to found a separate company. FKuR the research institute became FKuR Kunststoff GmbH, the company, which is now celebrating its 20 th anniversary. In the course of time, the Bioflex and Biograde range was complemented by more and more products, such as Fibrolon ® natural fibre filled compounds, or Ceroflex ® biobased and compostable starch compounds for fast degrading films – their development was often initiated by customer requests. Milestones A significant milestone and highlight for Carmen was the installation and commissioning of their first large turnkey compounding line in 2012 in addition to the lines they had engineered and built themselves over the years. Patrick likes to remember the start of their US facility and company FKuR Plastics Corp. in Texas, USA in 2009 and SKYi FKuR Biopolymers Pvt Ltd. In India in 2019. Another milestone is definitely the cooperation with Braskem that started in 2011. Increasing the portfolio In addition to different special, and – if desired – tailor-made biobased and/or biodegradable compounds, FKuR started to act as a sales organization for other biobased plastics. These materials are for example Eastlon 30 % biobased PET for transparent packaging and recyclable bottles. As a drop- 16 bioplastics MAGAZINE | Renewable Carbon Plastics [<strong>05</strong>/23] Vol. 18
with roots in recycling On-site By: Alex and Michael Thielen in bioplastic, bio-PET has the same mechanical and thermal product properties as fossil PET and is 100 % recyclable. Braskem’s I’m green polyethylene, distributed in Europe by FKuR, can upon request, also be compounded for special properties. Such special compounds are marketed under FKuR’s trade name Terralene ® . Other Braskem products include I’m green EVA biobased ethylene vinyl acetate. Terraprene ® biobased TPE compounds for extrusion and injection moulding with individually adjustable hardness grades from 40 Shore A to 40 Shore D and Terrasol ® biodegradable and water-soluble plastics made from PVOH (polyvinyl alcohol) for packaging round off the portfolio of FKuR’s bioplastic materials. Back to the roots Just recently, in kind of a back to the roots, FKuR started re-strengthening its focus on recycling. So, the company is now also offering EuCertPlast-certified PE and PP plastic recyclates from post-consumer or pre-consumer sources and Terralene ® rPP – Hybrid compounds based on recycled polypropylene (PP) and renewable raw materials. Outlook The clear focus of FKuR is on three main pillars, all of them aiming at sustainable plastic products. In addition to their self-developed products and the trade products, the third is the recent focus on recycled products. “We are no longer the bioplastics specialists that we were”, as Daniel Peltzer, Managing Direcor of FKuR points out, “we are now a sustainability specialist. And often, there is not one single solution. Often a dovetailing of different approaches is necessary to find the technically, economically, and environmentally best solution”. And finally, Carmen tells us about their next steps: new properties they just purchased in the vicinity to further increase their capacities. FKuR is a mere 20-minute ride from our Renewable Carbon Plastics offices, so rest assured that we’ll keep you updated about all developments of this bioplastics pioneer with a promising future. Left to right: Daniel Pelzer, Patrick Zimmermann, Carmen Michels (Mananging Directors of FKuR), Alex Thielen Melanie Schreurs and Niklas Voß explain some details on biodegradable products (Photos: Philipp Thielen) www.fkur.com Edmund Dolfen (Photo: FKuR) bioplastics MAGAZINE | Renewable Carbon Plastics [<strong>05</strong>/23] Vol. 18 17
Page 1 and 2: Bioplastics - CO 2 -based Plastics
Page 3 and 4: dear Editorial readers In your hand
Page 5 and 6: Picks & clicks Most frequently clic
Page 7 and 8: Novel hybrid PET/F bottle Origin Ma
Page 9 and 10: Transforming flies into degradable
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Page 13 and 14: 8 th PLA World Congress 28 + 29 MAY
Page 15: available at www.renewable-carbon.e
Page 19 and 20: Category bioplastics MAGAZINE | Ren
Page 21 and 22: around 28,000 tonnes. It is expecte
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Page 25 and 26: Depolymerization of PA66 using micr
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Page 29 and 30: By: H. Aybige Akdag Ozkan, R&D Cent
Page 31 and 32: BOOK STORE Category 3 rd Edition NE
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Page 35 and 36: Category DISCOVER THE FUTURE OF PLA
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Page 39 and 40: Sustainable polyurethane mattress r
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Page 51 and 52: NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW ADVANCED BI

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