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News daily upated news at www.bioplasticsmagazine.com Photo: Fraunhofer IAP Carbon fibres made from lignin The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (IAP) (Postdam, Germany) and the Faserinstitut Bremen (FIBRE, from Bremen,Germany) are aiming at further developing the process for the production of carbon fibres from lignin for use in mass markets. The Airbus Germany GmbH supports the project as an industrial partner. Due to the combination of its properties – high strength and modulus plus low density - the material is very interesting for lightweight construction. Currently, fossil-based carbon fibers, however, are still too expensive for mass applications; lignin could be a cost-effective alternative. The now beginning project is supported by the Federal German Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BmEL) via the Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR). Carbon fibers are lighter, stronger, but also more expensive than glass fibers. They reinforce the bodies of aircraft, race cars or boats and support blades of wind turbines. Currently, researchers are trying to bring carbon fibers from the niche of premium products into mass markets, such as in the automotive sector. For this, the fibers must above all be one - cheaper to manufacture. Currently carbon fibers are mainly made from fossilbased polyacrylonitrile (PAN) or from pitch. Lignin from wood with a carbon content of about 55 to 65 % would be a possible alternative. This material, abundantly available as a waste stream fom the papermaking industry (globally around 50 million tonnes per year) is usually incinerated and would bring the potential for the desired price reduction: It is estimated that lignin based carbon fibers in the long run would cost only around € 4.50 per kg, compared with at least € 9.50 for the product obtained from PAN fiber. The project has the aim to produce lignin based carbon fibers of the quality required for lightweight construction. At the end of the development work a C-fiber shall be available that offers a tensile strength of 1.5 GPa and a tensile modulus of about 150 GPa, which is suitable for aerospace applications.MT www.fnr.de Market study and trend reports In March 2013, Germany’s nova-Institute published the most comprehensive market study of bio-based polymers ever made. The market study was carried out in collaboration with renowned international experts in the field of bio-based polymers from Europe, America and Asia. The study received high acclaim and set a new standard for market studies in this field. Now, two years later, a complete update is to be published in February 2015. The study investigates every kind of bio-based polymer and several major building blocks produced by more than 200 companies at over 350 locations around the world. In 2014, for the first time, nova-Institute’s market study was used as the main data source of the recently published market data of the association European Bioplastics. The full report presents the findings of nova-Institute’s year-long update of the previous market study, which is made up of three parts: Market data, ten trend reports and company profiles (appox. 500 pages). The market data section presents data about the total production volumes and capacities as well as the main application fields of selected bioplastics worldwide. The trend reports section contains a total of 10 independent articles contributed by leading experts in the fields of bio-based polymers and building blocks. • Policies impacting bio-based plastics market development – Dirk Carrez • Plastic Bags – their consumption and regulation in the European market and beyond – Constance Ißbrücker • Standards, norms and labels for bio-based products – Lara Dammer • Bio-based polymers, a revolutionary change – Jan Ravenstijn • Bio-based monomers – Rainer Busch • Asian markets for bio-based chemical building blocks and polymers – Wolfgang Baltus • Brand views and adoption of bio-based polymers – Harald Käb • Environmental evaluation of bio-based polymers and plastics – Roland Essel • Microplastics in the environment: sources, consequences, solutions – Roland Essel • GreenPremium prices along the value chain of bio-based products – Michael Carus, Asta Eder, Janpeter Beckmann The final company profiles section includes company profiles with specific data including locations, bio-based polymers and building blocks production capacities. MT www.bio-based.eu/markets 6 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/15] Vol. 10
News Recycling program for post consumer carpet DuPont Industrial Biosciences (Wilmington, Delaware, USA) and EcoStrateSFS, Inc. (Arlington Texas, USA) signed a cooperative agreement establishing the first post-consumer recycling program for commercial and residential carpet made with DuPont Sorona ® renewably sourced fiber. The two companies will work together to develop and commercialize products using recovered post-consumer carpet made with DuPont’s Sorona (polytrimethylene terephthalate,PTT) fiber. EcoStrate ® , currently a manufacturer of signage, promotional items and mud flaps, also is exploring other applications including ballistics testing, flooring, shipping crates, pallets and building materials. “As a biobased material, the sustainability advantages of DuPont Sorona in carpets have been recognized globally,” said John Lyons, global business development manager for Sorona. “While post-industrial recycling has been practiced for years, we also have focused on identifying post-consumer recycling solutions for carpet made with Sorona. We believe that EcoStrate has an innovative program and our collaboration will be a benefit to both the carpet and recycling industries. With end of carpet life options in place, consumers and specifiers of carpet made with Sorona will feel even better about their choice of carpets.“ “EcoStrateSFS is extremely honored to be accepted as part of the visionary leadership that DuPont continues to provide around the world, particularly in creating solutions that deal with responsible end of life of products or materials,” said Ron Sherga, chief executive officer of EcoStrate. “The EcoStrate process, and the markets we target, will all benefit from the use of recovered Sorona and its unique properties. EcoStrate is fast becoming a leader in transforming unique end of life materials into value-added products. Our association with DuPont adds tremendous value to our message, vision and future growth.”MT www.sorona.dupont.com | www.ecoetratesfs.com 9 th European Bioplastics Conference 2014 The 9 th European Bioplastics Conference took place on 2/3 December 2014 in Brussels, connecting more than 320 participants from administration, policy, industry and media. In his keynote speech, Dr. Helmut Maurer, European Commission – DG Environment, stressed the need for intelligent products that make efficient use of resources and show an acute awareness for waste generation. The benefits bioplastics offer in especially these two aspects were acknowledged by Axel Singhofen, the Greens/European Free Alliance. “We appreciate that EU stakeholders increasingly recognise the potential and performance of our materials“, commented François de Bie, Chairman of European Bioplastics. “We are aware that the vast field of plastics that are biobased, biodegradable or both offer hundreds or thousands of benefit combinations that are hard to oversee for stakeholders. A step by step approach to understand the advantages of bioplastic materials is to look at different applications and what additional value the respective bioplastic offers in the case at hand.“ The overall positive development trend of the bioplastics industry was mirrored in several speeches during the two day conference. Brand owners Tetra Pak and Ecover presented their initiatives to move to 100 % biobased and recyclable packaging. The annual market data update of European Bioplastics and its scientific partners, IfBB - Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites, and nova-Institute, foresees a fourfold growth of production capacities by 2018. (details see p. 33) During the 9 th European Bioplastics Conference more than 320 participants coming from roughly 210 companies from 29 countries caught up on the latest discussions, developments and progress in the bioplastics industry. The adjoining exhibition with 30 companies showcased a tremendous diversity of the latest products and materials. Save the date: The 10 th European Bioplastics Conference will be in Berlin again. The Bioplastics World will meet in the Maritim proArte on November 05 and 06, 2015. MT www.european-bioplastics.org bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/15] Vol. 10 7
