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Content Imprint 01|2016 Jan / Feb Automotive 12 Lightweighting is key 14 Carbon/Flax hybrid automotive roof 15 Smart bioplastics for automotive applications 16 Biocomposites in the automotive industry Materials 18 The gluten solution 20 Making Levulinic Acid happen 24 Breakthrough platform technology for new building block Opinion 26 Bioplastics industry struggling to meet expected demand 38 Biopolymers will weather the crash in petroleum prices 3 Editorial 5 News 22 Material News 28 Application News Foam 30 PLA foam expanding into new areas Basics: Public Procurement 34 “The biobased office” for the procurement of the future 34 Mandatory Federal purchasing of biobased products 10 Years Ago 32 Polyamide from bio-amber 42 Glossary 46 Suppliers Guide 49 Event Calendar 50 Companies in this issue Publisher / Editorial Dr. Michael Thielen (MT) Karen Laird (KL) Samuel Brangenberg (SB) Head Office Polymedia Publisher GmbH Dammer Str. 112 41066 Mönchengladbach, Germany phone: +49 (0)2161 6884469 fax: +49 (0)2161 6884468 info@bioplasticsmagazine.com www.bioplasticsmagazine.com Media Adviser Florian Junker phone: +49(0)2161-6884467 fax: +49(0)2161 6884468 junker@showju-systems.de Chris Shaw Chris Shaw Media Ltd Media Sales Representative phone: +44 (0) 1270 522130 mobile: +44 (0) 7983 967471 Layout/Production Ulrich Gewehr (Dr. Gupta Verlag) Max Godenrath (Dr. Gupta Verlag) Print Poligrāfijas grupa Mūkusala Ltd. 1004 Riga, Latvia bioplastics MAGAZINE is printed on chlorine-free FSC certified paper. Total print run: 3,600 copies bioplastics magazine ISSN 1862-5258 bM is published 6 times a year. This publication is sent to qualified subscribers (149 Euro for 6 issues). bioplastics MAGAZINE is read in 92 countries. Every effort is made to verify all Information published, but Polymedia Publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions or for any losses that may arise as a result. No items may be reproduced, copied or stored in any form, including electronic format, without the prior consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed in articies do not necessarily reflect those of Polymedia Publisher. All articies appearing in bioplastics MAGAZINE, or on the website www. bioplasticsmagazine.com are strictly covered by copyright. bioplastics MAGAZINE welcomes contributions for publication. Submissions are accepted on the basis of full assignment of copyright to Polymedia Publisher GmbH unless otherwise agreed in advance and in writing. We reserve the right to edit items for reasons of space, clarity or legality. Please contact the editorial office via mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com. The fact that product names may not be identified in our editorial as trade marks is not an indication that such names are not registered trade marks. bioplastics MAGAZINE tries to use British spelling. However, in articles based on information from the USA, American spelling may also be used. Envelopes A part of this print run is mailed to the readers wrapped in bioplastic envelopes sponsored by Flexico Verpackungen Deutschland, Maropack GmbH & Co. KG, and Neemann Erratum For mailing our last issue we used envelopes that were we no longer permitted to use, as the new company name is Coveris Flexibles Deutschland GmbH. We sincerely apologize for this mistake. Cover Photo: Michael Thielen Follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/bioplasticsmag Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bioplasticsmagazine
daily upated news at www.bioplasticsmagazine.com News SPC published position paper against oxo-additives The Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, has released a formal position paper against biodegradability additives for petroleum-based plastics, which are marketed as enhancing the sustainability of plastic by rendering the material biodegradable. The SPC has evaluated the use of biodegradability additives for conventional petroleumbased plastics, and has found that these additives do not offer any sustainability advantage and they may actually result in more environmental harm. The position paper lists the following reasons for the stance against these additives: • They don’t enable compostability, which is the meaningful indicator of a material’s ability to beneficially return nutrients to the environment. • They are designed to compromise the durability of plastic and the additive manufacturers have not yet demonstrated an absence of adverse effects on recycling. • The creation of a litter friendly material is a step in the wrong direction, particularly when the material may undergo extensive fragmentation and generation of micro-pollution before any biodegradation occurs. • The biodegradation of petroleum-based plastics releases fossil carbon into the atmosphere, creating harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Concerning litter and micro-pollution, the position paper says: “Most additives are designed to fragment petroleum-based plastics into small pieces in order to make it sufficiently available to the microorganisms that perform biodegradation.” However, bioplastics MAGAZINE has been waiting for 10 years now for satisfactory, scientifically backed evidence that a complete biodegradation by microorganisms will happen, in whatever timeframe. The SPC paper continues that the “fragmented micropieces remain invisible to the naked eye, yet their effects as micro-litter can be detrimental. Beyond the well-documented environmental impacts of micro-pollution, the marketing of biodegradable petroleum-based plastics as being less detrimental to the environment may contribute to improper end-of-life disposal and pollution.” In her December 30, 2015 article at Plastics Today (bit.ly/1OM7BeC) Clare Goldsberry expresses that she doesn’t think “that most people want plastics to disappear. What we’d like to see disappear is the litter in our communities and in the world’s waterways. And that’s not a plastics problem – that’s a people problem. An additive that makes plastic litter degrade to fragments in 180 days is not exactly what I’d call a solution.” MT The complete SPC position paper can be downloaded for free from http://bit.ly/200Nv8U Jumbo merger in the chemical industry DuPont (Wilmington, Delaware, USA) and The Dow Chemical Company (Midland, Michigan, USA) announced in mid December 2015 hat their boards of directors unanimously approved a definitive agreement under which the companies will combine in an all-stock merger of equals. The combined company will be named DowDuPont. The parties intend to subsequently pursue a separation of DowDuPont into three independent, publicly traded companies through tax-free spin-offs. This would occur as soon as feasible, which is expected to be 18 – 24 months following the closing of the merger, subject to regulatory and board approval. The companies will include a leading global pure-play Agriculture company; a leading global pure-play Material Science company; and a leading technology and innovation-driven Specialty Products company. Each of the businesses will have clear focus, an appropriate capital structure, a distinct and compelling investment thesis, scale advantages, and focused investments in innovation to better deliver superior solutions and choices for customers. It is expected that the well known biobased plastic products will be continued under the the newly to be created Material Science Company: This company will be a pure-play industrial leader, consisting of DuPont’s Performance Materials segment, as well as Dow’s Performance Plastics, Performance Materials and Chemicals, Infrastructure Solutions, and Consumer Solutions (excluding the Dow Electronic Materials business) operating segments. The combination of complementary capabilities will create a low-cost, innovation-driven leader that can provide customers in high-growth, high-value industry segments in packaging, transportation, and infrastructure solutions, among others with a broad and deep portfolio of costeffective offerings. Combined pro forma 2014 revenue for Material Science is approximately USD 51 billion. Upon completion of the transaction, Andrew N. Liveris, President, Chairman and CEO of Dow, will become Executive Chairman of the newly formed DowDuPont Board of Directors and Edward D. Breen, Chair and CEO of DuPont, will become Chief Executive Officer of DowDuPont. In these roles, both Liveris and Breen will report to the Board of Directors. In addition, when named, the chief financial officer will report to Breen. MT www.dupont.com | www.dow.com | www.dowdupontunlockingvalue.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/16] Vol. 11 5
