MATERIALS | BLACK AND WHITE
IMAGE: BRT
biorefinery in Leuna, Germany that will produce wood-based biochemicals, such as renewable glycols, industrial sugars, and lignin. Start of produc- tion is expected by the end of 2024. Lignin is used to make UPM BioMotion Renew- able Functional Fillers (RFF). In addition to use as a functional filler in thermoplastics, RFF can be used as a black pigment as an alterna- tive to carbon black. RFF achieves black colouring with a slightly reddish and yellowish tone. The company says that in general, a loading of 3-5 wt% gives the best colour properties. At all loading levels, RFF is detectable in NIR sortation equipment in recycling facilities. The
product has been tested as
Above: BRT supplied
NIR-detectable masterbatch to PakTech to optimise for its black packaging handles
100% bio-based carbon content by ASTM D6866 and also awarded the highest level certification of “bio-based>85%” from the third-party certifier DIN Certco. The company says it meets EU standards for biodegradability and compostability.
Biomass basis Colorado-based Living Ink Technologies is deriving black pigments using biomass inputs to its proprietary pyrolysis process. The company is currently using algae biomass that is waste from a nutritional supplement manufacturing process, and is investigating other bio-based waste streams, such as those from local beer fermentation processes. The pigments are being used commercially in inks and also in a paint application, said Devon Murrie, Director of Partnerships at Living Ink Technologies. At the lab-scale, the company has created a black
Right:
Living Ink Technologies is using algae biomass to created black masterbatch
masterbatch in pellet form that can be used in plastics. One application in development is solution- dyed, recycled PET yarn for clothing. The master- batch has been used in the lab for injection moulded caps. A life cycle assessment (LCA) of the algae- based black pigments, calculated in January 2023, found that the pigments have a negative global warming potential (GWP) (ie, remove more green- house gases from the atmosphere than emitted for pigment production) for the current scenario in which waste biomass is used as a feedstock. Ampacet says its new Natura Shades Collection is a series of bamboo-based colorants that are an alternative to conventional carbon-black-based pigments. The colorants are suitable for injection moulded polyolefins in applications such as furniture and housewares.
36 COMPOUNDING WORLD | November 2024
Birla Carbon is making progress with its plan to obtain International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC Plus) certification for its manu- facturing plants. The ISCC Plus certification can identify biomass, non-biological renewables and recycled carbon materials. Birla makes its carbon- black alternative, Continua Sustainable Carbona- ceous Materials (SCM), from end-of-life (EOL) tyres. The company notes, however, that the SCM products, launched in 2021, are not the same material as carbon black. ISCC Plus recognises SCM as a circular material,
and certification verifies that it can be traced through the supply chain. In July, the company announced that plants in the US, Canada, and Spain had received certification, following certification of facilities in Brazil, Hungary, the US, South Korea, Egypt and three units in India earlier in 2024 and Italy in 2023. The company says its remaining three plants are expected to be certified by the end of 2024. Avient’s latest is OnColor REC Polymer Color-
ants, which are made with pigments derived from recycled content, including EOL tyres. The com- pany says that compared to carbon black, the pigments can perform comparably and reduce product carbon footprint. The new products are available in the US and Canada for a range of resins and applications, including wire and cable, building and construction, automotive, and electrical and electronics. Cabot launched the company’s first carbon
blacks with certified recycled content with ISCC Plus certification in late 2023. The masterbatches are part of Cabot’s Evolve Sustainable Solutions technology platform for offering sustainable content at industrial scale. Replasblak rePE5475 100% circular black masterbatch contains 100% ISCC Plus mass balance certified material made from reclaimed
www.compoundingworld.com
IMAGE: LIVING INK
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