ADDITIVES | NATURAL FILLERS
Right: Sulapac Luxe material for cosmetic packaging contains wood flour, but has a smooth surface
tions. “Eco-flow provides an aesthetically pleasing visual confirmation that a consumer has purchased a product that contains natural materials,” said Buchan.
Although the automotive market requires significantly more testing and development than consumer products, there seems to be a significant push from automotive OEMs to add bio-based content. “This solution is beginning to gain a lot of traction in the A-surface automotive and decorative products space,” Buchan reported. In another project, Sawgrass Sustainable is using
mixed PA and PET waste into as a feedstock for a bioreactor, where it is enzymatically digested in a fungal process. The product from the bioreactor is harvested, dried, and compounded as a filler into thermoplastics. “The novel material, called Saw- grass-X, is a calcium carbonate replacement with a lower carbon footprint that offers some gains in mechanical properties such as stiffness and density,” said Buchan. It has some elastomeric properties and can be used in material handling and automotive applications. Researchers have added the filler at 20-40% in PP and PE and are cur- rently experimenting with loadings to optimise properties.
Automotive bamboo YTC America (YTCA), which is a wholly owned and US-based R&D subsidiary of Yazaki Corporation of Japan, focuses on developing novel materials and processes for a circular economy and carbon neutrality. One of the company’s projects in the automotive sector is considering bamboo fibres as a filler in PP to add mechanical strength and reduce carbon footprint at the same time. The PP/bamboo composite material may find wide applications in electrical boxes, wire trays and covers, and interior parts, suggested Stefan Maat, Vice-President for R&D at YTCA.
“Bamboo was selected as an eco-filler for its unique mechanical properties, its fourfold higher carbon sequestration potential compared to traditional wood fillers like pine or fir due to its fast growth compared to wood, and its abundance and proximity to several Yazaki factory locations,” said Maat. He noted that although there are close to 1,700 known species of bamboo worldwide, only a few can be utilised for composites. “YTCA has done extensive research on this PP/ bamboo composite material and has successfully developed and optimised its properties to meet OEM requirements,” said Tiwari Rajkiran, R&D Manager at YTCA. “Challenges faced in this project include the hygroscopic nature of natural fibres,
18 COMPOUNDING WORLD | May 2025
which requires a correct choice of chemistry to maintain adhesion between the bamboo fibres and the polymer matrix in order to obtain the best mechanical properties of the composite. In addition, odor removal from eco-composites and reducing their flammability as per OEM require- ments were significant problems that were over- come and resolved successfully. Water absorption remains a challenge, although significant advances in reducing water absorption have been made to render these materials more water resistant and acceptable for automotive use.”
Luxury packaging Finland-based Sulapac is using bio-based materi- als, including some with natural fillers, for high-end packaging applications. “We use natural wood as a filler to enhance the sustainability, functionality and aesthetic properties of our materials,” said Heidi Peltola, Chief Product Officer at Sulapac. “The wood used as part of Sulapac materials is a side-stream from sawmills. Using side-streams and waste materials as feed- stock has always been an important part of our design practice.” Although the natural material has variation in colour that creates variation in the end-product, Peltola suggested that in many cases, this is a welcome effect that reflects the natural origin of the raw materials. For brands that prefer non-visible wood material
alternatives, the company’s Sulapac Luxe material for cosmetic packaging contains wood flour, but has a smooth surface, with either a glossy or matte finish depending on the mould. “The look and feel resembles that of ABS plastic.
This is an ideal solution for brands who value the ‘conventional’ sensory characteristics but still want
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IMAGE: SULAPAC
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