MATERIALS | BIOPLASTICS
(testing is still ongoing). It says this is sufficient to meet the needs of the most demanding coffee roasters and consumers.
Above: M VERA GP1012 from Bio-Fed is designed for thin wall applications that require high stiffness, such as coffee capsules
bioplastic formulations. It adds that future tailored industrial minerals will add more functional value to bioplastics, boosting both performance and sustainability and enabling them to address presently-unmet needs from the entire value chain. PLA producer NatureWorks has collaborated
with Flo, a major European food packaging manufacturer that is increasingly engaged in research of sustainable high-quality products, to introduce three additional coffee capsule formats in its GEA family that are industrially compostable and fully bio-based. The GEA capsules are all made with industrially-compostable Ingeo PLA resin from NatureWorks, which is used to produce lidding, filters and capsule body. The new capsules extend the application of the
GEA capsules beyond the original A Modo Mio system, to include Nespresso, Lavazza Blu, and Keurig coffee systems. According to Flo, the construction of each has been tuned to achieve the ideal pressure needed to deliver maximum taste, crema and aroma from each system. According to Natureworks, recent testing carried out at the Accademia Italiana Maestri del Caffè (AICAF) has verified that the GEA capsules maintain the flavour and aroma of the coffee for more than 11 months
Capacity expansion Italian compounder Sirmax last year acquired a 70% share in Microtec – a manufacturer of BioComp biopolymer compounds. It is preparing to double its output of biocompounds and this year installed two new ZSK lines from Coperion. The ZSK 70 Mc18 twin screw extruders have been specifically designed for the production of bioplastics. The 70 mm screw diameter units are equipped with ZS-B side feeders and ZS-EG side devolatilisation units. “With Microtec’s capabilities and Coperion’s technology expertise, it is possible to develop bio-based materials for traditional areas of applica- tion, such as automobiles and household devices. Even the application spectrum for non-durable products, such as single-use flatware, trash bags, and food packaging can be expanded in this way,” says Massimo Pavin, Chief Executive Officer of Sirmax. “Long term, we are planning to expand our bioplastics production to 16,000 tonnes per year. Investments will support the production of a wide range of sustainable compound which will increase the actual Sirmax product portfolio, in line with the multi-product strategy of the company,” he says. The additional capacity will be used to produce compounds based on starch biopolymers, co-poly- esters (PBAT), PLA and PBS. Akro-Plastic’s Bio-Fed division has extended its
M VERA range of its home compostable and soil-degradable compounds. Depending on the application profile, these biodegradable com- pounds are suitable for short or long-term use and can be fully or partly produced from renewable raw materials. As well as grades for film extrusion, the company also offers compounds for injection moulding. The new M VERA GP1012 grade has been
Are You Ready for a Sustainable Future?
Die plate rheologically designed to meet the specific needs of bio-polymers
Special solutions available to combat the corrosive impact of plant-based acids in the polymer
WWW.NORDSONPOLYMERPROCESSING.COM
IMAGE: BIO-FED
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