BIOPLASTICS | MATERIALS
with a municipal wastewater treatment plant. The biochemical manufacturing process can also use plant-based feedstocks, which has been useful as a starting point while they scale up the methane feedstock, explains Anne Schauer-Gimenez, co-founder and COO at Mango Materials. P3HB tends to be brittle and needs to be modified with additives to improve ductility, as well as other additives to meet various application requirements, Schauer-Gimenez explained. Additives need to maintain the biodegradability profile and be compatible with the polymer. Ideally, they would like to use all bio-based additives in their compounds, but currently have some inert ingredients, with formulations ranging from 60 to 90% biocontent in the final pellets. The compounds are available with biodegradable colorants, currently in nine colors. Mango Materials is also evaluating bio-based blacks and biochar blacks. Currently, the compounds are being evaluated
as a replacement for PP in injection moulded applications such as cosmetic packaging. “Our material processes a little differently, but we have successfully moulded using existing moulds designed for PP, ABS, and HDPE,” Schauer-Gimen- ez said. The company is currently taking orders for sampling. It is also scaling up compounded pellet production at its manufacturing site in Vacaville, California, and plans to reach commercial scale by late 2025 or early 2026.
Polyamides and polyolefins Arkema’s bio-based polyamide 11, which is derived from renewable castor seeds, is a high- performance, 100% bio-based alternative to fossil fuel-based PA12. The bio-based content is certified by Beta Testing Labs according to ASTM D6866 standards, and some of the PA11 grades have received the BioPreferred label. PA11 is used in a variety of durable applications, offering a reduced climate impact compared to PA12. This is achieved through its bio-based feedstock, improved energy efficiency, and the use of biomethane as an energy source in production. Additionally, PA11 can be recycled through Arkema’s specialty polymer recycling program. The program supports open, closed, and semi-closed loop recycling models for parts made with PA11, further reducing environ- mental impact. Eurotec’s new Tecomid BIO bio-based polyam- ide compound made from PA11 has high dimen- sional stability, low moisture absorption, and allows lightweighting, the company says. Two other new compounds are formulated with PA6.10, which has bio-based content; a PA6.10 compound and a
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Arkema’s Rilsan PA11 is sourced from castor seeds Source: Arkema
blend of PA6.6 and PA6.10 are designed for e-mobility cooling systems and quick connectors. Braskem’s bio-based polyethylene, produced
from ethylene made from sugarcane, is measurable via C14 methods. Whether the ethylene comes from a sugarcane plant or from a petrochemical plant, the resulting polyethylene is identical, and so polymers of this type are sometimes referred to as “drop-ins” to conventional polymers. Braskem is moving forward with evaluating
production of bio-based polypropylene (PP) in the US. The project involves building a facility to produce bio-based propylene using ethanol from corn, which will be used to produce segregated bio-based PP. Braskem announced in 2024 that it would also be using bio-attributed propylene to make bio- attributed, bio-circular PP. In September this year, Braskem’s bio-circular PP was launched under the Wenew brandname for the restaurant and snack food markets. The bio-circular PP repurposes used cooking oil to make propylene, which Braskem says is designed to promote circularity in the food industry. “Ideal users include Quick Service Restaurant
chains, retail food suppliers, traditional restaurants, and snack food companies especially those seeking to enhance circularity from their cooking oil usage,” said Bill Diebold, Vice President, Braskem America Polyolefins, in the press release. The PP is a mass-balanced product (rather than a segregated, bio-based product), and is certified by ISCC Plus.
� November 2024 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 17
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