Fibers & Textiles
Fibers & Textiles Biobased non-woven pads for corrosion protection BioPad ® by Cortec Corporation (St. Paul, Minnessota, USA) is a unique flexible non-woven pad made from byproducts of corn processing. In 2020, it earned the USDA Certified Biobased Product label, which highlights its percentage of biobased content at 58 %. BioPad is infused with Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitors (VpCI ® /VCI) that vaporize and create a protective environment inside closed packages or void spaces. These vapors condense or adsorb when they come into contact with metal surfaces, creating a protective molecular layer. As long as the space stays closed, the metals continue to be protected. When the package or void is opened, the same vapor pressure that allowed the corrosion inhibitors to fill the space allows them to float off the surfaces of the metal. No extra cleaning or coating removal is required. BioPad is a great example of increased efficiency with a biobased product. In comparison to similar corrosion inhibiting devices made out of polyurethane foam, BioPad uses less material and takes up less space while emitting a higher concentration of Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitors. BioPad has long been a standby for efficient and sustainable corrosion protection even before its certification as a USDA Certified Biobased Product. Its history shows the many ways BioPad can be used. BioPad for Outdoor Storage In 2018, pieces of BioPad were hung inside three large ship engines for a six-month trial in outdoor storage near the sea. BioPad provided the necessary internal protection to replace another VCI product that offered less protection per square meter of material and had a stronger amine smell. As a result of the successful trial, the manufacturer ordered enough sheets of BioPad to internally protect 150 engines per year as they await shipment near the sea (other VCI materials were already being used to protect the outsides of the engines) [1] BioPad for In-Process Protection Sometimes corrosion is a problem right in the manufacturing process. For example, one gear manufacturer had corrosion problems on gears going in and out of a climate-controlled QC department and sitting exposed on carts. BioPad was recommended to provide extra vapor-phase corrosion protection inside the carts after covering them with VpCI film [2] BioPad for Export Shipment In another case, BioPad was used for protection during export shipment of 54 LNG production vessels/tanks heading from Italy to the U.S. The tanks are sandblasted and painted on the outside where there is easy access. The insides are protected by placing BioPad into the tanks at the rate of 1 square meter per 4.5 cubic meters of vessel volume. This has provided a convenient means of internal protection that can be easily removed without leaving behind a residue [3]. Even better, because it contains 58 % USDA certified biobased content, it presents a sustainable alternative compared to similar devices made of polyurethane foam. MT References: [1] Cortec Corporation, Cortec Case History 675: Protecting Ship Engines in Outdoor Storage, July 2020, https://www.corteccasehistories. com/?s2member_file_download=access-s2member-level1/ch675.pdf. [2] Ibid., Cortec Case History 539: Gear Preservation Solution, April 2017, https://www.corteccasehistories.com/?s2member_file_ download=access-s2member-level1/ch539.pdf. [3] Ibid., Cortec Case History 639: Vessel Preservation, August 2019, https://www.corteccasehistories.com/?s2member_file_ download=access-s2member-level1/ch639.pdf. www.cortecvci.com BioPad is easy to slip inside a package of auto parts for an extra supply of Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitors AGRANA inside We STARCH your bioplastics! AGRANA.COM/BIOPLASTICS Boost biobased content! Improve biodegradation! Decrease your costs! AMITROPLAST ® – THERMOPLASTIC STARCHES AGRANAs natural and user-friendly thermoplastic starches for extrusion and injection. 100 % biobased. 100 % home-compostable. AGENACOMP ® – BIOPLASTIC COMPOUNDS The perfect combination of AMITROPLAST and other bio-polymers. 100 % home-compostable. For more information please contact bioplastics.starch@agrana.com The natural upgrade 20 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/20] Vol. 15
Materials Pilot plant for bio-based packaging foam Stora Enso (headquartered in Helsinki, Finland) will build a pilot facility for producing Cellufoam by Stora Enso, a lightweight, highly porous foam material from cellulose fibers, for protective packaging and cushioning. Biobased foams are renewable and recyclable and can be used in packaging, for example, to replace oil-based polymer foams which are widely used today. The pilot plant will be located at Stora Enso’s Fors Mill in Sweden. Cellufoam by Stora Enso is a sustainable packaging material and it further increases Stora Enso’s opportunities to replace fossil-based materials with renewable and recyclable materials. The initial target application for Cellufoam will be the protective packaging of fragile products, for example in consumer electronics. Biobased foams also have the potential to replace polymeric foams in a range of markets and applications where the demand for sustainable materials is increasing, such as sports equipment, thermal insulation in shipments and as a growth medium in soil-free farming, among other areas. “The interest in sustainable packaging solutions is already large and continuously growing. Companies are looking for biobased materials in order to achieve their own environmental goals for recycling, reducing plastic waste and using fossil-free materials, while maintaining high-quality packaging performance,” says Markus Mannström, Executive Vice President of Stora Enso’s Biomaterials division. “Our biobased foam offers a renewable, recyclable and biodegradable alternative to traditional oil-based packaging foams such as expanded polyethylene (EPE) and expanded polystyrene (EPS). With this pilot, we continue to build on our long-term R&D work while introducing innovative materials to replace fossilbased ones,” Mannström says. Stora Enso’s pilot aims to evaluate and validate Cellufoam as a packaging foam in customer tests and to further develop the production process. The new pilot plant will be part of Stora Enso’s Biomaterials division. The design and engineering of the pilot facility will start immediately. It is estimated that the plant will be ready in the fourth quarter of 2021. Decisions about commercialisation will follow, after evaluating the results of the pilot-scale production. Stora Enso’s Fors Mill today produces world-class light-weight paperboards for consumer packaging. The modern mill’s energy production is free from fossil-CO 2 emissions. The pilot plant investment will not impact the mill’s current production. MT www.storaenso.com | www.cellutech.se Magnetic for Plastics www.plasticker.com • International Trade in Raw Materials, Machinery & Products Free of Charge. • Daily News from the Industrial Sector and the Plastics Markets. • Current Market Prices for Plastics. • Buyer’s Guide for Plastics & Additives, Machinery & Equipment, Subcontractors and Services. • Job Market for Specialists and Executive Staff in the Plastics Industry. Up-to-date • Fast • Professional bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/20] Vol. 15 21
