MATERIALS | BIOPLASTICS
packaging materials – including activated carbon and bioplastics. Aimplas will produce PLA from lactic acid – pro- duced by fermenting sugars in plant biomass waste. Essential oils with different active properties – such as antimicrobial action – will be added to the PLA, and used to make cosmetics packaging. Aimplas is collaborating with Laboratorios Maver- ick to produce the packaging, and with Idoasis as a supplier of active substances.
Above: This reactive extrusion pilot line from Aimplas will produce PLA-based nanocompos- ites
“both an environmental and economic benefit due to the ease of disposal.”
Small project Pan-European research project Biomac is ready to offer its services to small and medium-sized enterprises. The project has been developing nano-enabled bio-based materials (NBMs) for agricultural and food packaging solutions. As part of Biomac, Spanish research organisation Aimplas has developed a reactive extrusion pilot line. The next step is to scale up applications and get
Right: BeonNet is developing bioplastics- based active packaging for cosmetics applications
them ready for commercialisation. The Biomac Ecosystem provides access to its facilities (17 pilot lines) and services, covering the whole value chain – from biomass fractionation and intermediate chemicals to final NBMs. Aimplas is in charge of pilot line number 11 – a reactive extru- sion (Rex) pilot plant for polymerisation of PLA and its copolymers and the production of PLA-based nanocomposites. The Aimplas pilot line is working in two different test cases within Biomac. In agricultural applica- tions, it will develop PLA-based masterbatches with nanoparticles to be used in formulations for mulching applications. In food packaging, it will develop PLA nanocomposite formulations for blown film applications. The next step is to validate the pilot lines with five internal test cases – in automotive, agriculture, food packaging, construction and printed electronics. Aimplas is also a partner in the BeonNet project – which is developing bioplastics for active packag- ing for cosmetics applications. The project relies on sourcing biomass from
trees and shrubs that are grown on marginal land. It covers the cultivation and harvesting of selected species, extraction and purification of essential oils and plant extracts, and manufacturing a variety of
12 FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION | January/February 2023
www.filmandsheet.com
Bio-based barrier The drive towards sustainability means that more barrier films are now bio-based. In a project called MultiBioBarrier, Aimplas has developed – with partners Gaviplas and Nurel – a material that is 70% bio-based. At the same time, it is biodegrad- able and has a high oxygen and moisture barrier. This makes it useful for packaging products such as cheese. As well as being biodegradable, the multi-layer film had to be easily recyclable by separating the layers. Nurel developed the polymers, which have superior barrier properties to its existing Inzea grades, it said. The films can be processed by blown film technology – and have been used to make three- and five-layer products. Three grades have been developed: Inzea F18C
is transparent and sealable; FBH 10 has an oxygen barrier and is water-soluble; and FBT has an oxygen and water barrier. Aimplas was tasked with developing multi-layer
structures from the materials, while Gaviplas will scale up and validate the production process. Multi-layer films – using all three grades in either
three- or five-layer structures – have been pro- duced and tested at pilot plant scale. The five-layer structure (which included tie-layers) was transpar- ent and recyclable, while the three-layer version was compostable.
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IMAGE: AIMPLAS
IMAGE: AIMPLAS
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