Natural fibres | reinforcements
pounded with thermoplastics. Ryan Hunt, CTO at Algix, says the company com- pounds the algae with different polymers together with compatibilizing agents and other bio-based additives. It is already offering Solaplast compounds based on biodegradable polyester resins such as NatureWorks’ PLA and BASF’s Ecoflex PBAT, and also on fossil-based plastics (including polypropylene, polyethylene, EVA and polystyrene). All contain at least 40% algae. Properties are said to be suitable for a variety of end-use applica- tions, including cosmetic containers, packaging, and horticultural/agricultural products, as well as film, sheet and non-wovens. Currently, the two most important applications are foreseen in extruded EVA-based foams for use in footwear, and PLA-based compounds for 3D printing. Solaplast compounds can be used directly or as a masterbatch. Algix has been producing compounds on a single
compounding line based on a 73-mm extruder at a facility at Meridian, in Mississippi in the US. It is now in the process of setting up a second operation in China, which will become the company’s main production site and will free up the Meridian equipment for more development work. Hunt says the new joint venture Algix Wuxi Technology Company is set to start com- pounding in August. The company is located close to a major source of algae that is growing in local lakes and is currently being land-filled. Belgian compounding company Beologic specialises
in the production of compounds based on natural fibres or mineral fillers. With an installed compounding capacity of 20,000 tonnes/year split over 12 production lines, Beologic claims to be one of the most important suppliers in the sector. Project and Sales Manager Alex Beyls says the company’s product portfolio contains more than 600 formulations, all customised to customer requirements. He says Beologic can deliver compounds for almost all polymer processes, including 3D printing. “Popular natural fibres are wood and rice due to
their low price:property ratio, but we see an increase in demand for flax/hemp and cellulose to be used in more technical applications,” he says. For applications where aesthetics are particularly important, Beyls sees cork and cotton fibres gaining popularity. Beologic is one of several partners in the European
Union-sponsored HIVENT research project (
www.hifiventproject.eu), which has the aim of develop- ing durable, fire-resistant ventilated façades in WPC that can be used in building retrofit. Results of the project are due to be presented at the AMI Wood-Plastic Composites 2016 conference in Vienna in early March by Arne Schirp, Project Leader at the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research (WKI), which is another partner in
www.compoundingworld.com
Fraunhofer WKI cooperates with the University of Applied Sciences in Osnabruck, Naftex and Georg Utz. It has available a variety of equipment to develop and test WPCs according to the needs of the industry, says Schirp. A co-rotating extruder, equipped with an underwater granulation system and optional air granulation, can be used for formulation development. This equipment has been modified to accommodate processing of highly filled WPC formulations with difficult flow behaviour. Compounds can be further processed using profile extrusion, injection moulding and hot-pressing. Another EU project looking into thermoplastic
biocomposites is Naturtruck (
www.naturtruck.eu) (see Compounding World June 2015). Within this project, Aimplas, the institute of plastic materials in Spain, is developing completely bio-based automotive parts in collaboration with CTAG (Automotive Centre of Galicia in Spain), IWNiRZ, six SME’s from Europe and Turkey, and truck manufacturer Volvo. The aim of the project is to develop thermoplastic biocomposites from polylactic acid (PLA) and natural fibres with high heat and fire resistance to replace polymers such as ABS for interior parts used in truck cabins.
March 2016 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 45 Above: Samples of
Solaplast algae containing
polymers from Algix
the project. WKI Fraunhofer develops wood-plastics composite (WPC) formulations for various applications. Researchers in another Fraunhofer WKI project are
investigating chemical foaming of WPC for injection moulding and profile extrusion, with the aim to develop a novel type of beehive as a substitute for the current types built using timber or 100% expanded polystyrene. Each of these traditional materials has its advantages but also some drawbacks - the foamed WPC is said to combine advantages of both timber and polystyrene. In particular, it offers 3D design opportunities, good insulation, weight reduction, durability, low maintenance, recyclability and employs sustainable raw materials. While the develop- ment project is focused on beehives, the technology is not limited to this application.
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