bioplastics | Update Automotive Tier Ones go bio
The automotive industry is a key application area for bioplastics, as car makers compete to reduce the carbon footprint of their products in any way possible. Most major OEMs have programs involving bioplastics and natural fi bre reinforced materials – Tier One suppliers Magna and Faurecia are the latest to announce moves in that direction. In February, Magna
International announced a cooperation agreement with Bio-On, an Italian intellectual property company with which it plans to begin exclusive R&D activities covering the use of bioplastics for the automotive industry. Bio-On claims to have developed a new PHA created through the use of naturally occurring bacteria which feed off sugar beet by-products. The company says its PHAs are the fi rst to be 100% naturally biodegradable in both water and soil. In a statement, Magna said it is “pairing its automotive know-how with Bio-On’s chemical expertise to research
how production of the PHA can be elevated to an industrial, cost-effective scale.” The two companies will also test and evaluate how Bio-On bioplas- tics will perform in different processes. Magna Interiors will utilise its facility in Liberec in Czech Republic for testing. “Our material has already
demonstrated great potential in diverse industries and we now want to apply it to the automotive sector as well,” says Marco Astorri, CEO and co-founder of Bio-On. He cites the polymer’s high thermal and mechanical resistance as key performance attributes for automotive applications.
Faurecia is
working with Mitsubishi to develop bio alternatives for PC/ABS
Perstorp targets bio blends
Meanwhile, Faurecia
announced at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) last year that it is working with Mitsubishi Chemical to develop a bioplastic called BioMat that should be ready for the market by 2016. BioMat combines bio-based fi llers with a plant-based resin developed using polybutylene succinic polymers derived from sugar cane feedstocks. The PBS is predicted to replace traditional polycarbonate/ABS or PP with long glass fi bres in parts such as door substrates or instru- ment panel carriers.
www.magna.com
www.faurecia.com
Perstorp launched its Capa polyesters for the bioplastic blend market last year, allowing the production of high performance com- pounds offering good mechanical performance and the ability to be composted in domestic environments. Capa polyesters are said
to offer excellent tear properties, which adds mechanical durability and fl exibility to bioplastics. Elongation of bioplastics blends can be signifi cantly improved as can low temperature performance. The company says Capa
blends are likely to fi nd applications in short life moulded applications such as single-use cutlery as well as demanding durable applications such as mobile handsets and tablet casings, and automotive parts.
www.perstorp.com
Eco water fi rm picks Gaïalene
GobiLab, the French producer of the Gobi re-usea- ble water bottle, which it claims can replace hundreds of single-use polystyrene plastic cups or conventional single-use water bottles, has opted for a fully recyclable plant-based Gaïalene resin from Roquette, also located in France, to replace the thermoplastic polyurethane used in its base.
“This resin has a very interesting ecologi-
cal profi le allowing a massive carbon footprint reduction compared to TPU,” says Samuel Degremont, one of three of the
28 INJECTION WORLD | March 2014
original Gobilab business founders. The Gaïalene base fi ts to the bottom of the Gobi bottle, which is moulded in Tritan copolyester from Eastman, and provides a durable base capable of withstanding the rough and tumble of daily life on the move. Roquette product manager Léon Mentink describes
the Gaïalene polymers as durable polymer compounds created by grafting olefi n chains onto starch-based resins. “As a consequence, these resins can be used alone or in blends with PP or PE and are fully recyclable in polyolefi n streams,” he says.
www.roquette.com
www.injectionworld.com
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