materials | Bioplastics
Right: A range of architectural products made using Ingeo PLA extrusion
compounds
from Nature- Works
block into high performance thermoplastic compounds. The resulting formulations offer a renewably-sourced carbon content of approximately 90%.
Balanced demands NatureWorks says it believes the bioplastics pendulum has swung from an almost singular focus on sustain- ability to a more balanced focus on price/performance and green content. “This fundamental shift in the market is fuelling customer interest in new Ingeo grades manufactured with our new polymerisation technology at the NatureWorks Blair, Nebraska plant in the USA,” says Diodato. “While these durable com- pounds are not yet price comparable with petroleum- based products, they are growing ever closer. When OEMs are looking for sustainable durable products, these compounds can balance price and performance with a high bio-content.” Specific technical issues with bioplastics compounds that NatureWorks is currently addressing include methods that will increase crystallisation speed further. “This will help put more high bio-content products and components in the hands of consumers,” says Diodato. “Every trend indicates consumers value more sustain- able and safer products. In particular, toys continue to be a focus, as well as durable tableware. Other areas will include applications where styrenics have issues in terms of rigidity, colour fastness and resistance to food and oils.” Regarding issues affecting bioplastics during the
Below:
Ingeo PLA compounds are used to injection mould these colourful toothbrushes
compounding process, Diodato explains that when alloying with certain petroleum polymers the high processing temperatures of the other polymer compo- nent can present a problem, as also can the need for compatibilisers. However, processing is considered relatively straightforward with the latest semi- crystalline compounds. Recent product developments from
NatureWorks include three durable compounds: a medium impact grade, a high impact grade, and a high stiffness profile extrusion grade. “We have taken steps to improve the high impact grade in the areas of colour fastness and cycle time, in response to input from OEMs,” says Diodato. “ABS discolours over time and OEMs have come to accept that problem because of a lack of alterna- tives that can offer high gloss, good impact and low warpage. Ingeo durable compounds now offer a strong alternative in terms of colour fastness, high gloss and
42 COMPOUNDING WORLD | June 2016
good impact, as well as the added benefit of semi-crys- talline chemical resistance.” The three new formulated Ingeo compounds offer higher heat performance, as well as improved impact and modulus performance. NatureWorks says that two of the new formulations offer medium and high impact properties with high bio content, which makes them ideal for injection moulding applications, particularly those typically specified in ABS. The high modulus Ingeo formulation developed for profile extrusion applications is claimed to maintain good impact performance, while its high stiffness simultaneously offers opportunities for downgauging and materials savings (see Figures 1and 2 on page 44). The company adds that each of these Ingeo formula-
tions have significantly faster crystallisation kinetics than PLA resins currently available in the marketplace. The rapid crystallisation rate allows for the moulding of crystalline parts at competitive cycle times with high heat distortion temperatures. NatureWorks acknowl- edges, however, that bioplastics will rarely provide a 100% drop-in alternative. The materials will generally perform best in optimised applications where the high rigidity of the polymers is taken into account at the design stage.
All-round sustainabilility Biomaterials company Metabolix sees the growth of bioplastics as complementary to the increased use of recycled materials, all of which reflects a general move towards achieving sustainable solutions for the plastics industry. “We think that the industry is becoming quite sophisticated in the way end-of-life options for materials used in packaging applications are viewed,” says Max
www.compoundingworld.com
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