MATERIALS | BIOPLASTICS
Table 1: Typical physical properties for crystalline, semi crystalline and amorphous grades of PHA (polyhydroxy- alkanoate)
Source: CJ Bio
introduced in May, is PHAct A1000P. Amorphous PHA is a softer and more rubbery version of PHA that offers fundamentally different performance characteristics from crystalline or semi-crystalline forms. It is certified biodegradable in industrial compost, soil (ambient), and marine environments. Modifying PLA with amorphous PHA is said to lead to improvement in mechanical properties, such as toughness, and ductility, while maintaining clarity. It also allows adjustment of the biodegradability of PLA and can potentially lead to a home compostable product. Max Senechal, COO of the CJ Biomaterials business, says the company “is looking forward to working with plastic resin producers, compound- ers, converters, and brand owners across multiple segments in putting this technology to work.”
Long-term collaboration A similar story is developing at Danimer Scientific and Total Corbion PLA (now TotalEnergies Corbion). Last November, the two companies said they were teaming up with a long-term collabora- tive arrangement for the supply of the latter’s Luminy PLA. “As Danimer continues to scale up the commercial production of Nodax, its signature polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), this agreement enhances Danimer’s ability to fulfill customer needs for resins that require a blend of PLA and PHA- based inputs,” they said in a prepared joint statement at the time. According to Stephen Croskrey, Chairman and
CEO of Danimer: “While growing commercial production of PHA remains the focus of our business, PLA is a part of some compounds that we formulate to meet specific customers’ functionality needs for different applications. Teaming with Total Corbion PLA provides an ideal solution to support our long-term growth strategy while ensuring our short-term customer needs remain fulfilled.” Blending various inputs, such as PHA and PLA, enables Danimer to expand the applications of its
52 COMPOUNDING WORLD | September 2022
materials across a number of different industries, the company says. “The biopolymers market is experiencing strong
growth and customers are requesting innovative solutions tailor-made to their market needs,” according to Thomas Philipon, CEO of Total Corbion PLA. “In today’s dynamic market, strategic arrange- ments throughout the value chain are key to ensur- ing security of supply in both product and technol- ogy that will allow brand owners and ultimately consumers to be comfortable with selecting bioplas- tics as a sustainable alternative to traditional plastics.” At the beginning of the year, leading Canadian biotechnology company Genecis Bioindustries and Dutch company Helian Polymers said they would also collaborate in creating PHA-based formulations. They said they would develop various resin formulations that include Genecis’s PHAs for high-value applications, such as 3D printing filaments and biomedical applications. Genecis upcycles organic waste into composta- ble plastics. It says its rapid scaling model allows the reach of high throughput production capacity by adding its technology onto biogas plants. The company has offices in Canada and is expanding into the EU. Helian Polymers has been active in bioplastics ever since 2007; its sister company colorFabb pioneered the development of PHA and PLA/PHA blended filaments for 3D printing. Helian Polymers launched its brand PHAradox in the summer of 2021. It is developing PHA-based materials for custom applications, including leisure wear, horticulture, single use coffee capsules and 3D printing filament. The company currently offers 18 different PHA formulations, with more on the way. “By investing in a Coperion compound extrusion line and two Engel injection moulding machines, pilot production and testing can be handled mostly in-house,” says Sander Strijbos in Marketing at Helian. “Additional validation and characterisation is done at CHILL, part of the Chemelot campus in the south of the Netherlands.”
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