Cover Story Advertorial Lightweighting PBATbased materials As society changes and evolves, people are increasingly seeking more convenience and ease in daily life, both at home and at work. This trend is boosting demand for lightweight and high-performance polymers in various industries. At present, the materials most commonly used are expandable particle foam materials (EPS, EPP, EPO), which can be expanded to ratios of more than 60 with a density of down to 0.015-0.030 g/cm³. Extremely light and with good compression resistance, above all, these are relatively inexpensive and hence find application in many industries, including catering, packaging, construction and automobile. However, most of these particle foam materials break very easily, and their low weight makes them difficult to recycle. If residues end up in nature, they do not degrade, which causes huge pollution problems in the environment. As the leading manufacturer of biodegradable polymer sin China, Jinhui Zhaolong High Technology Co.,Ltd. (Shanxi, China) has always focused on the study of lightweighting biodegradable polymer materials. After repeated experiments and tests, Jinhui Zhaolong has successfully developed the Ecowill series of expandable and biodegradable modified polymers based on PBAT. Test results demonstrate that the Ecowill series of expandable and biodegradable modified polymers have a maximum foaming ratio of 13 times and an apparent density of 0.09g/cm³. Electron microscopy shows that the cell structure is compact and uniform, and the cell diameter lies between 20 and 40 µm. After further adjustments in formula and process, the density can be further reduced. The Shore-hardness of the new Ecowill series materials is between 40-65D, with a resilience of over 60 % and an elasticity comparable to TPEE and TPU elastomer materials. The materials can be converted into elastomeric foams with high elasticity requirements by steam bonding or other elastomer macromolecule material perfusion bonding and can thus be used for a wide range of large applications in the field of toys or shoes. Jinhui Zhalong have already applied it to large Lego-like bricks, airplane models, insoles and much more. The Ecowill family of materials is characterized by a high degree of toughness and high self-bonding strength, which is very resistant to damage. After being converted into packaging products, these can be used repeatedly. Currently, Jinhui Zhaolong is developing a reusable foam packaging box with its partners based on the molding characteristics of Ecowill series, which can be applied in the fields of fruits, vegetables and fresh package. Compared with standard PBAT, the heat resistance of the Ecowill series is significantly improved. The melting range has increased from 95-100 °C to almost 120 °C. At the same time, the Ecowill materials leave no residual foaming agent monomers behind. Jinhui Zhaolong is currently conducting food safety contact tests at 100°C. After passing the test, 12 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/19] Vol. 14
Cover Story Advertorial By: Long Yanbo Jinhui Zhaolong Shanxi, China the new material is very likely to replace PP for a new generation of fast food boxes. In addition to the above applications, Jinhui Zhaolong believes that the Ecowill series will also be suitable for many applications that haven’t been developed yet. They hope more downstream foam material users will join them in further research and improvement of the Ecowill series formulation, the foaming process, forming technology and equipment, and promote the development and application of lightweight biodegradable materials. “Committing to the Development in Green Industry, Caring for Nature & Benefiting Mankind” is the mission of Jinhui Zhaolong. The company will continue to contribute to global environmental protection and to creating a greener world for future generations. www.jinhuizhaolong.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/19] Vol. 14 13
