Application News
Application News Denitrification Biopellets Reef Interests, an innovative provider of home aquarium systems located in the Netherlands, is launching a biodegradable product based on Telles’ Mirel DP9002 for managing waste generated in aquariums and marine environments. The product will be sold throughout the U.S., Europe, Russia, China and other key markets. Nitrates generated as waste products from fish foods and other sources can rapidly build up in fish tanks, overpowering the denitrification organisms. By activating existing microbes that are present in the aquarium, Mirel initiates a more efficient denitrification process that helps improve water quality. “Keeping waste products such as nitrate and phosphate under control is often a difficult task, which requires expensive and complex filtration systems,” said J.P. ten Klooster, Chief Executive Officer at Reef Interests. “We found that the Mirel solution provides long term and efficient control of nitrate levels.” “Mirel continues to open up a number of new market opportunities for Telles, from compost bags to packaging solutions, and now marine applications including denitrification,” said Bob Engle, Telles general manager. “With Reef Interests, we are bringing an efficient and long-lasting denitrification solution to consumers in the home aquarium market. By creating a safe and highly effective process for water denitrification, Telles will work with its partners to expand Mirel’s applications for marine environments.” Mirel is biodegradable in marine environments in accordance with ASTM D7081 for marine-biodegradable non-floating plastics. This standard specification, along with the standard method ASTM 6691 for determining aerobic biodegradation of plastic materials in the marine environment, was developed at the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) in Natick, Massachusetts, with support from the U.S. Navy and the Waste Reduction Afloat Protects the Sea (WRAPS) Program. Metabolix has worked with NSRDEC using Mirel PHA to help qualify the biodegradation of water-resistant yet marine-biodegradable bioplastics. www.reefinterests.com. www.mirelplastics.com. First Biodegradable Toothpaste Tube Tectubes from Åstorp, Sweden introduces the world’s first truly biodegradable toothpaste tube made from FKuR’s bioresins. The company is a global partner in tube production. They produce more than 300 million tubes yearly, from their factories in Sweden and North America. Tectubes injection mould, extrude and print the various parts of the tube. The tube itself stands out due to its excellent mechanical properties. “Using bio resins for such an application was a challenge for us. We needed to have compatibility between the different parts, and match them together with good conversion properties”, says Johan Barkentin, project leader at Tectubes, Sweden. ”By using FKuR’s expertise and range of sustainable bioplastics we were able to reach a very satisfactory solution”, he says. The result of this development is a toothpaste tube made from natural products. Stefan Lundbladh Swedish manager of toothpaste maker Allveggie pointed out: ”It is important for us to emphasize our ecological awareness and send a signal. By using bioplastics we can fulfil our wish to have an overall environmentally friendly solution.“ All of the raw materials which have been used are biodegradable. Allveggie produces toothpaste made from natural substances. Also, the product is considered as Fair Trade and does not exploit nature or people. Bjarne Högström, FKuR’s sales representative for Scandinavia, stated that “This development shows the versatility of biopolymers and how far biopolymers have progressed with respect to processability and final characteristics.” Bioplastics are an own class of polymers, which have properties comparable to conventional polymers, but are made from renewable resources or enable the biodegradability of the products made from this material. MT www.tectubes.com www.fkur.com 40 bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/11] Vol. 6
Application News No More Tickly Hairs – Thanks to PLA Are you familiar with the problem of tiny clippings of hair falling onto your face when you go to the hairdresser? You will certainly agree with us, that this is most annoying, especially when the hairs tickle your eyes and your nose. As a solution the Austrian hairdresser Edinger had the amazing idea of developing, in collaboration with an Austrian bioplastic retailer Novitech ® , an innovative product called FacePro ® , which is designed to protect the client’s face from clippings of hair. So how does FacePro work? FacePro is a shield made of PLA, with an adhesive stripe on the back to adhere to the client’s forehead and so protecting the face from tiny, tickly hairs. Furthermore it was very important for Edinger as well as Novitech to offer a product which is made of an ecofriendly, eudermic material - for the simple reason that FacePro is a throw-away product. The percentage of renewable material (maize) in FacePro is around 93%. Sales figures show that it works! From August 2010 to January 2011 Novitech sold around 1,000 packages of FacePro each containing 50 shields (equivalent to around 30,000 metres of PLA). MT www.novitech.at Toys - Made 100% from Bioplastics “My heart is in eco-plastics” says Markus Swoboda, mechanical engineer who one year ago had the confidence to found another company besides his well-established engineering enterprise. This is how BioFactur was born - dedicated to supplying children’s toys that parents can hand to their little loved ones without thinking about any risk that one normally has to face with regard to plastic toys – which are put millions of times into the mouths of children whilst having fun with them. BioFactur’s products are mainly based cotton cellulose, but also on other ingredients such as starch obtained from maize and potatoes, wood or vegetable oils from rapeseed or sugar. And, most importantly, they fulfill both of the fundamental demands of bioplastics, i.e. made from sustainable raw materials and being completely and verifiably ecologically degradable - biodegradable in the case of BioFactur’s products that in addition are CO 2 -neutral. Optimistically looking further ahead, BioFactur is sure to find a firm niche in the worldwide plastics market (currently running at about 260 million tonnes) even though the sustainable and almost healthy bioplastics products from BioFactur are up to 30% more expensive compared to conventional plastic toys. People feel different when sitting near the playground and having a drink from a cup that is made from the same family of future-oriented bioplastics as the toys their children are playing with. This belief strongly demonstrates BioFactur’s attitude towards all our futures and underlines the seriousness of their commitment. CJ www.biofactur.de bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/11] Vol. 6 41
