search.noResults

search.searching

note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
Natural fi bres | reinforcements


Natural fi bres aim to compete


Whatever their environmental benefi ts, thermoplastic compounds incorporating natural fi bres and fi llers are unlikely to succeed unless they can compete head-on with more traditional compounds. That is a reality that is recognised by many of the major players in the sector and a great deal of development work is underway with the aim of meeting the goals of cost and performance competitiveness. This article takes a look at some of the most recent initiatives. A. Schulman is one of a growing number of major


compounders involved in the development of compounds containing natural fi bres. The company has a range of compounds in its AgriPlas product line, which was developed from a consortium of companies and academ- ia initially funded from the Ontario Bio Council. Target markets and applications for the products include automotive, industrial, consumer goods, recreation, lawn and garden, furniture, and packaging. To date, the most high-profi le application for AgriPlas is the Ford Flex third row compartment bin, which has been in production for several years using a compound based on wheat straw reinforcement. There is also a smaller commercial application for production of fl ower box containers, says Product Manager Paul Hardy, who admits volumes at present are modest but says that could change soon. Schulman continues to look at other natural fi bres


and alternative renewable fi llers for thermoplastics. Hardy cites oat hulls, rice hulls (the company has developed a 70% rice hull fi lled LLDPE masterbatch


www.compoundingworld.com


Producers of natural fi bres and


compounds are striving to deliver performance that can match


traditional plastics. Peter Mapleston fi nds out more about that work


claimed to offer the highest loading to date), treated and coated wood chips, and even shredded US bank notes; material is dried and then treated for better perfor- mance, enabling it to withstand the higher melt temper- atures of polymers such as ABS. Soy meal also looks like an attractive option and Schulman has developed an additive technology to exfoliate the soy meal during compounding. In a development related to its work on soy meal-


based compounds, Schulman has worked closely with Biobent Polymers, a start-up concentrating solely on bio-composites. Biobent Polymers was created to commercialise compounds based on a novel biocom- posite polymer developed by Battelle Memorial Institute in a project funded by the Ohio Soybean Council and United Soybean Board (a division of the US Department of Agriculture). Biobent Polymers has an exclusive worldwide licence for this technology.


Main image:


Wheat straw is one of a number of


natural fi bres under exami- nation as a potential


bio-based fi ller for plastics


March 2016 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 39





Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104