Materials Biocomposite
Materials Biocomposite uses Green PE Copolyester for consumer electronics To meet the growing demand for environmentally friendly and high-performing materials, Rhe Tech, Inc. (Whitmore Lake, Michigan, USA) has expanded its Rhe- Vision ® line of biocomposites. RheTech is using Braskem’s (São Paulo, Brazil) new generation of polyethylene which utilizes sugar cane instead of oil or natural gas that typically is used as the base feedstock. As with its other RheVision products, RheTech’s latest offerings have a substantially lower carbon footprint than traditional reinforced olefins. The biocomposites are also lighter weight and offer unique aesthetic characteristics. In mid-2010, RheTech launched the RheVision line, which uses bio waste material as a sustainable alternative to traditional mineral and glass-reinforced polypropylene. The initial lineup of biofiber reinforced polypropylenes featured wood flour, ground rice hulls and flax fiber. Agave fiber and coconut fiber-based products were added in early 2012. RheTech has done extensive testing of the new sugar canebased polyethylene. To date, the company has developed wood flour and flax fiber compounds. The wood flour compound (WP30E109-00) is 30% pine wood flour reinforced green polyethylene, while the flax fiber (FF10E109-00) is 10% flax fiber reinforced green polyethylene. Typical physical properties are noted below. Arnitel © Eco thermoplastic copolyester from DSM has been used successfully in soft touch surfaces by a world leading manufacturer of consumer electronics. Applied to the surface using a 2K molding technique, enabling cost efficient mass production, Arnitel Eco helps to create an almost skin-like feeling to the surfaces of electronic devices, like notebooks and tablets. The application represents the first use in consumer electronics of this breakthrough material. Arnitel Eco is a high performance thermoplastic copolyester (TPC) with 20% - 50% of its content derived from renewable resources. These renewable resources are made from rapeseed oil. Arnitel Eco delivers a carbon footprint reduction of up to 50% when compared to classic copolyester solutions, thus supporting the need of brand owners for more sustainable material solutions. Francis Aussems, Project Manager Bio-Polyesters for DSM, says: “In consumer electronics, there is a growing awareness of more sustainable material solutions. DSM is at the forefront with the the development of halogen free materials for cables and connectors, the introduction of recycled materials, and, last but not least, the introduction of bio-based polymers like Arnitel Eco and Ecopaxx.”. MT Wood Flour: WP30E109- 00WP30E109-00 Wood Flour: Units Flax Fiber: FF10E109-00 Flax Fiber: Units www.dsmep.com Density 1.05 g/cm 3 0.97 g/cm 3 Flexural Modulus 2,630 (380,000) MPa (psi) 1,345 (195,000) MPa (psi) Izod Impact – Notched at 23°C 2.8 KJ/m 2 3.0 KJ/m 2 There already has been considerable interest in this new product line. RheTech is currently in the sampling/ development stage for a variety of consumer applications. Automotive and heavy-duty truck applications are planned for the future. RheTech believes there is tremendous potential for this product and looks forward to developing new applications that can utilize the benefits of both the waste bio fiber and the new green polyethylene developed by Braskem. MT from left: maple wood, flax fiber, pine wood 38 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/13] Vol. 8
Bringing the Best and Brightest from over 100 Companies spanning 4 Continents Join us at this Conference on a journey through the world of ”BioPlastics: The Re- Invention of Plastics”; an adventure we have not seen in the chemical industry since the 1960’s. Sessions Include: Green Plastics: Techno-Commercial Update BioPolymers in Packaging Applications Brand Owners on BioPlastics Advances in Biobased Building Blocks BioPlastics Modification Value Creation from BioPlastics In Las Vegas’ Luxurious Caesars Palace March 4-6 For Registration Information, Please visit www.BioPlastConference.com Phone: +001 (973)446-9531 E-Mail: info@InnoPlastSolutions.com
