Materials • Processes • Finishes
Fig. 3. Ecovative has created a technique to make protective packaging from mushrooms.
high stiffness, strength and toughness. Cellucomp is working with Dutch farm cooperative Royal
Cosun to commercialise the material. Curran, combined with carbon fibres, was used to make the Reactor fishing rod, while sheets of the material have been used to produce a skateboard. The material is currently made in a pilot plant, but is
expected to be commercially available next year. Biowert of Germany is using grass from local farmers to
create a range of products, including a bioplastic. AgriPlast granules comprise 40-75 per cent cellulose fibres
from meadow grass (which is produced during the process of crop rotation) and 25-60 per cent recycled polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE). It says that parts made from its AgriPlastic are around 20 per cent lighter than those made from PP or PE. The granules are free-flowing and can be injection
moulded into components such as spoons, brackets, machine cases, and protective caps. Biowert says the material has high flow, which ensures fast cycle times during production.
Flexible production
The automotive industry is also looking for new sources of material. It is the leading consumer of rubber – so the leading tyre manufacturers are actively seeking alternative sources of the material. Continental is pinning its hopes on dandelions – due to
a fungal infection that is threatening rubber trees worldwide. Researchers at the University of Münster and the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME) have identified an enzyme that controls polymerisation of the plant’s latex. By switching off the enzyme, the latex can flow
freely – and be used industrially. Dirk Prüfer, of the Institute for Institute of Plant Biology
and Biotechnology at the university, says: “The first results show that Russian dandelions produce a high-quality natural rubber. Its physical and chemical properties match up well with those of the Brazilian rubber tree.” The dandelions would need to be ‘farmed’ on a huge
scale, but could be established quickly in response to increased demand for rubber. At the same time, Goodyear is
looking to avoid the fluctuating price and availability of petroleum-derived isoprene through a deal with biotechnology company Genencor. The deal gives Goodyear a sustainable source of isoprene (the monomer from which synthetic rubber is made). Isoprene is traditionally sourced from crude oil, but Genencor has uses special enzymes to ‘ferment’ it from starch. It expects to begin commercial production in the US next year. Whether it is rubber, engineering
plastics or commodity resins, the search for alternative feedstocks is accelerating. But while today’s alternatives are invariably ‘food’ crops, those of the future will be waste products. Just as the ancient alchemists dreamed of turning base metals into gold, so today’s chemicals producers are looking to use biotechnology and sophisticated catalysts to turn muck into money - or, at the very least, plants into plastic. l
Fig. 4. Leicester ‘eggshells’ research. Food processor Pankaj Pancholi (left) is keen to try out plastic packaging that is made from eggshells by Leicester University’s Andy Abbott (right).
www.engineerlive.com 27
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