MATERIALS | WOOD PLASTIC COMPOSITES
Right: A
selection of premium cosmetics packaging produced in Sulapac’s WPC biocomposites
industrially compostable and produced from biopolymers and wood-based natural fibres, with a preference given to materials derived from second-generation (non-food feedstock) side streams. The company says its goal is to use 100% recycled or side-stream content in all its materials by 2025. The company’s latest introduction is Sulapac
Luxe, a bio-based material developed as an alternative to ABS for luxury fragrance caps that can be processed on standard injection moulding equipment.
Sulapac has other biocomposite materials that
are already being used in cosmetic jars, caps, and other packaging, as well as in thermoformed logistic trays and point-of-sale displays. These include its its Flow 1.7 biocomposite, which was originally developed for extruded straws but can also be used in 3D printing. Sulapac says the Eco-Fil-A-Gehr Wood filament can be used for prototyping or creating point-of-sale structures. Swedish start-up Biofiber Tech introduced
FibraQ in 2021, produced with patented technol- ogy that makes wood fibres hydrophobic and more compatible with plastics. The company says its aim is to help brand owners replace conventional fossil-based plastic to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Biofiber Tech says compounders can use FibraQ
Below: A WPC kayak being 3D-printed at the RISE Research Institute in Biofiber Tech’s FibraQ 3D compound
to make wood-fibre based plastic compounds in conventional twin-screw extrusion compounding equipment. In 2022, it introduced a number of FibraQ compounds, including FibraQ 3D for 3D-printed products, FibraQ ABS, and FibraQ 100% Bio, which uses bioplastics and is composta- ble. The most recent addition to its product line is FibraQ TPE compounds, which use FibraQ wood fibers in EVA or TPU. Another key player in the bio-based filler sector is Sappi Biotech. Its Sappi Symbio is a thermoplas-
tic masterbatch containing functionalised cellulose fibres derived from managed European forests and plantations that are 100% FSC certified. The company says use of Symbio can reduce carbon footprint and material weight compared to using short glass fibres. Sappi’s Symbio ED90-PP contains 90% compati- bilsed cellulose in PP, which it says can be diluted to the desired cellulose content, in any colour, in a compounding process. Juul Cuijpers, Sappi Europe’s Product Manager for Symbio, says that in standard twin-screw extrusion compounding, it is preferable to feed the material via a side feeder after having fed the polymer on the main feed allowing it to melt before the addition of Symbio. The pellet masterbatch is easy to dose and easy to handle, achieving very good dispersion, and the cellulose has a consistent, high quality and purity level, Cuijpers says. The material can be used in a wide range of applications, including furniture, consumer electronics, automotive interior compo- nents, packaging, and kitchen items such as cutting boards. It is said to provide a natural and warm feel and to meet automotive industry requirements such as absence of undesired odour.
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.ngc-nordic.com (Nordic Grafting) �
www.CAIadditives.com �
www.addico.com.mx �
www.aromaticfusion.com (Addisperse) �
www.adeka.co.jp �
www.rise-pfi.no �
www.wki.fraunhofer.de/en/ �
https://basajaun-horizon.eu/ �
www.tpei.com �
www.bausano.com �
www.sulapac.com �
www.biofibertech.com �
www.sappi.com
20 COMPOUNDING WORLD | August 2023
www.compoundingworld.com
IMAGE: BIOFIBER TECH
IMAGE: SULAPAC
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