MATERIALS | NATURAL FIBRES AND FILLERS
resin extenders. Targeted feedstocks under consid- eration include black liquor, woody biomass, crop stover, nut hulls and shells, grasses, and numerous other renewables. Attis formed a strategic partnership three years
Figure 1: Measured tensile strength of PP compounds containing different levels of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) Source: Performance BioFilaments
ago with Alpharetta, US -based Genarex, which extracts otherwise low-value materials from corn ethanol by-products and uses them as bio-addi- tives in plastics. It says it now has the ability to service customers with “a versatile array of materi- als” which bring value and cost savings to a variety of applications. “Attis Innovations’ primary product for the plastics space is a unique, melt-flowable lignin, a bio-additive that brings unparalleled cost savings and performance to common resin systems,” says Bob Montgomery, VP Product Development at the company.
Figure 2: Measured tensile strength value for a PP compound containing 20 wt% NFC reinforcement after multiple recycling passes Source: Performance BioFilaments
erty gains and recyclability of natural fibre rein- forced thermoplastics. Geoff Fisher, Director of Business Development
at Performance BioFilaments, says the investigation involved compounding of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) derived from wood fibres via mechanical refining into diverse polymers, including PP and PLA, and testing these compounds for gains in strength (Figure 1). The compounds were then put through multiple re-grind/extrude cycles to see how those gains obtained from the fibres persisted after being recycled. Tests showed that NFC cellulose can deliver
increases of more than 30% in tensile strength and more than 75% in tensile modulus with loadings of up to 30 wt% in PP and PLA. Interestingly, it was found that these properties changed little after being recycled five times (tensile strength results are presented in Figure 2). Meanwhile, Georgia, US-based Attis Innovations
recently entered the plastics market with a portfolio of biobased fillers as well as polymeric materials and
44 COMPOUNDING WORLD | May 2021
Bio-based fillers Attis also markets a suite of bio-fillers called Bylox through its strategic partnership with Genarex. These fillers are said to differ greatly from existing bio-filler options in that the material is primarily protein-based, which Montgomery claims gives it superior ductility and particle size. “Bylox LT has shown great success with many film applications, including agricultural mulch film and yard and pet waste bags,” he says. “Bylox HT is a more thermally stable product that is capable of processing in conjunction with higher temperature products without creating anisotropic shrinkage issues or significant loss of mechanical properties. Bylox Clean is an outstanding product with lower base colour and odour, and in addition to working in films has shown the ability to substitute some plasticiser used in the production of flexible PVC for a significant cost reduction.” In a separate development, Montgomery says
Attis Innovations is also currently pursuing the development of a fully bio-based, 100% lignin- borne carbon fibre product.
CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: �
www.rise-pfi.no �
www.norskeskog.com �
www.aimplas.net �
www.apm-planet.com �
www.inno-comp.hu �
www.vilhemp.hu �
www.wki.fraunhofer.de �
www.iap.fraunhofer.de �
www.performancebiofilaments.com �
www.attisinnovations.com �
www.genarex.com
www.compoundingworld.com
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