BASF Among other
BASF Among other products, BASF, Ludwigshafen, Germany presented the benefits of their ecovio ® PLA/PBAT-blend based materials with two application examples: The first application is a sustainable alternative for agricultural mulch films made from ecovio M 2351, which is a certified (EN 17033) soil-biodegradable plastic. It consists of the biodegradable copolyester Review In Düsseldorf, Germany, end of October, the triennial K-show demonstrated that even in turbulent times plastics continue to be an innovative and indispensable material, attracting around 225000 trade visitors from 168 countries. The 3,330 exhibitors from 63 nations unanimously underscored the necessity of having operational circular economies along the complete material chain and to this end already presented numerous concrete solutions, including more than 150 companies showing bioplastics products and services. Companies struck a nerve with visitors, who took great interest especially in recycling systems, sustainable raw materials, and resource-saving processes. Furthermore, K 2019 was characterised by a high propensity to invest as before. The intention among the international trade audience to get perfectly geared up for the future with the latest technologies was clearly perceivable. Despite the current tensions in world trade or the business climate in some consumer sectors. This year’s K has by far exceeded the organizers expectations and was able to generate key impetus for sustainable governance and new business models. AT ecoflex ® , polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), and other biodegradable polymers made from renewable raw materials. These films can replace conventional polyethylene (PE) mulch films which are difficult to collect, remove, clean and recycle after harvest. A recent study from ETH Zürich, Switzerland, has shown for the first time that soil microbes can use films made from PBAT as food. This is also the case for ecovio M 2351 mulch film naturally occurring microorganisms in the soil, such as bacteria or fungi, recognize the polymer structure as food that they can metabolize. The remaining end products after biodegradation by microorganisms are CO 2 , water and biomass. This means that ecovio biologically degrades in the soil and does not remain there as microplastic as, for instance, PE does. The second application are fruit and vegetable bags made of ecovio that help food to stay fresh for a longer time due to its breathability capacities. For example, tomatoes can be stored for up to four times longer in ecovio bags than in PE bags. In this way, intelligent packaging can reduce food waste. In addition, fruit and vegetable bags made from ecovio are not just carrier and storage bags: reused as organic waste bags, they can improve the collection and recovery of food waste. (cf. p. 18) www.ecovio.com Gianeco Gianeco, Giaveno, Italy, is a plastic recycling and trading company. While originally dealing mostly with the recovery of engineering polymers like ABS, PC, PA, PS, etc, their focus has shifted more and more to thermoplastic elastomers and bioplastics. In order to complete their mission for a greener and cleaner environment, Gianeco has engaged in the promotion, marketing and reprocessing of compostable polymers. Gianeco offers a primary service in Europe by collecting post industrial scrap. They are proud of their involvement and contribution to the recycling process of renewable and eco-friendly materials like PLA, PBAT, PHA, PHB, PCL, or PBS. At K 2019 Gianeco presented the range of recycled bioplastics, coming from post production food packaging, fibers and thermoforming. Gianeco’s main commitment is to revalue the scrap of the bioplastics industry in order to 22 bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/19] Vol. 14
K‘2019 Review reuse it in a large range of applications. Gianeco’s recycled bioplastics are an interesting cost-saving alternative for a number of applications, as the materials are of high quality, preserved in optimal dry and protected storage conditions, and sourced by recycling of post industrial waste. www.gianeco.com Hexpol TPE International compounding group HEXPOL TPE, Lichtenfels, Germany, presented several additions to their Dryflex Green portfolio of biobased thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs). The range of conventional materials include numerous series of styrenic block copolymer (TPS) based compounds as well as thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) solutions. Dryflex Green TPEs can be made with over 90 % biobased content (ASTM D6866-12) and hardness grades ranging from 15 shore A to 60 shore D. These materials are being adopted for several applications that previously used conventional TPEs. This is often done as a drop-in substitution, which eliminates the need for mould or tool modifications. Grades can be made from raw materials that are compliant with food contact regulations. Applications include outdoor equipment, consumer goods, toys, baby products, drinking bottles, sports equipment and automotive interiors. Dryflex Green compounds show very good bonding behaviour to PE and PP for overmoulding applications. There are also special grades with good bonding to ABS, PC/ ABS and PET. Dryflex Green TPEs are recyclable and can easily be coloured to give vibrant and appealing visual impact, just like conventional TPE compounds. www.hexpoltpe.com Lactips Lactips, Saint-Jean-Bonnefonds, France, producer of thermoplastic pellets based on milk protein was at the K fair to present their water-soluble and marine biodegradable materials at their shared booth with Business France. The company reported more than 3000 potential business contacts during the fair and business events such as the Bioplastics Business Breakfast (B3) hosted by bioplastics MAGAZINE. This gave them the opportunity to foster exchange, and enlarge their network, with plastic professionals all over the world in regard to the needs and innovations of the plastics industry. Lactips sees their 100 % biobased, water-soluble and marine biodegradable material as a disruptive technology, facing new regulation and representing an alternative for the industry. Their material also offers huge business opportunities to develop new markets and improve the recyclability of packaging. www.lactips.com Tecnaro Tecnaro, Ilsfeld, Germany, presented its biobased materials from its three product families Arboform ® , Arboblend ® and Arbofill ® in Düsseldorf. The great interest in Tecnaro's biobased materials and the large number of visitors to the Tecnaro booth clearly showed how important bioplastics have become in society. Visitors were particularly enthusiastic about the Arboblend straw, which is made entirely from renewable raw materials and is completely biodegradable. In comparison to paperbased straws, the Arboblend straw is also characterised by its heat resistance and multiple use. The Arboblend straw demonstrates impressively that there are innovative solutions and that bioplastics offer a real alternative to the previous petroleum-based products. www.tecnaro.de Fraunhofer IBG The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, Stuttgart, Germany, has developed a sustainable alternative to petro-based plastics using terpenes found in resin-rich wood. The natural substance 3-carene is one of the main components of turpentine oil, a waste stream of the production of cellulose from wood. Fraunhofer IGB is using a new, recently patented process to develop new polyamides from this terpene. The biobased polyamides Caramid-R ® and Caramid-S ® produced using the process were presented at K 2019 for the first time. They represent a new class of polyamides with outstanding thermal properties. The production of the monomer for Caramid-S was already successfully piloted on a 100-liter scale. www.igb.fraunhofer.de Sabic SABIC, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a global leader in the chemical industry, presented its polycarbonate (PC) based on certified renewable feedstock. Making them the first in the industry to provide their customers with a solution that has the potential to reduce both CO 2 emissions and the use of fossil feedstock during production. Sabic’s PC cradle-to-gate LCA study reveals potentially significant reductions in carbon footprint (up to 50 %) and fossil depletion impacts (up to 35 %) for the production of polycarbonate resin based on the incorporation of renewable feedstock, in comparison to fossil-based polycarbonate production. Sabic worked closely with The International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) to provide proof of the incorporation of renewable feedstock in their PC production and the resulting sustainability claims, verified by independent third party auditors, based on a mass balance approach. www.sabic.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/19] Vol. 14 23
