sustainability | PLA
Ingeo achieved an excellent rating at all-time intervals while ABS was rated poor at both 24 and 96 hours. For isopropanol, Ingeo was rated good to very good. For dish soap, Ingeo was rated very good to excellent. Ingeo also passed a further series of independent
chemical resistance tests performed by processing group Nypro, using a method designed to test how plastics used in consumer electronics stand up to common items such as hand cream, sun-block, insect repellent, nail polish remover (acetone), and hand sanitizer (isopropyl alcohol). It passed each test, while ABS failed with insect repellent and nail polish. Taiwan-based compounder Polyalloy, an affiliate of
PLA is well suited to 3D print processing Innovating for 3D print
One of the key potential potential markets for PLA is the fast growing 3D print sector, according to resin producer Natureworks, which in May announced new filament grades and an in-house print laboratory to support 3D printer and filament producers. PLA is well suited to desktop 3Dprint applications due to its low and
narrow melting point, minimal shrinkage, good fusing characteristics, and low emissions. Over the past two years, Natureworks has been working with filament suppliers to determine the precise requirements of the sector and to ensure it can support their development needs. “What we learnt from our market engagement is that a large segment of the market prefers to print with PLA and would like to replace petroleum-based ABS if PLA can rival the other material’s heat resist- ance ant the toughness of finished parts,” says Natureworks Global Leader New Business Segment Dan Sawyer. The result is Ingeo 3D850, the first of a series of PLA base grades aimed at 3D printing applications. The material is said to offer good filament processing characteristics and to be easy to compound. Natureworks will be supporting filament producers from its new in-house print lab, which will be able to provide rapid formulation testing services. The move follows the announcement of an agreement last year
between bioplastics compounder FKuR and 3D filament producer Helian Polymers covering development of novel PLA blends for the additive manufacturing sector. The new materials are marketed under Helian’s ColorFabb brand. The first developments include WoodFill Fine and BambooFill grades containing 20-30% natural fibre reinforcement. ❙
www.natureworksllc.com ❙
www.fkur.com ❙
www.helianpolymers.com
48 INJECTION WORLD | July/August 2015
co-rotating twin-screw extruder manufacturer Sino- Alloy Machinery, is also working on improving the properties of PLA using material supplied by Corbion Purac (which is planning a 75,000tpa PLA production unit in Thailand). Polyalloy reports that while traditional compounding can solve the problem of heat resistance in PLA, the moulding cycle time can still be too long and the resin’s susceptibility to hydrolysis is also a signifi- cant limitation in its application. “Since 2013, with the high stereochemical purity PLA
from Corbion Purac, we successfully developed Very- Green, a new generation of PLA compounds based on non-GMO cassava or sugar cane,” says assistant general manager Yiko Chen. “These compounds improve the crystallisation rate of PLA, which in addition to excellent heat-resistance performance also greatly shortens the processing cycle time. The performance of anti-hydrolysis is also much higher than traditional PLA compounds, which all contribute towards unlocking more applications for PLA. PLA can now be used in a wide variety of durable products including automobile parts, consumer electronics, toys, station- ery and home appliances”. VeryGreen is available in a variety of specifications. VG7262 is an impact-modified grade with a notched Izod impact strength of 22
kg.cm/cm at 23˚C, similar to ABS. VG7274 is a fibre-rein- forced grade that withstands temperatures up to 160˚C and also has a high modulus. It is said to be a suitable replacement for melamine in tableware applications. VG7233U is a thermoforming grade designed for compostable food packing, it is resistant to temperatures up to 100˚C, while fast crystallisation facilitates high-speed production. VG7213 is a general-purpose injection
Soma selected FKuR’s
Bio-Flex PLA blend for its carafe water
filtration system
www.injectionworld.com
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