MATERIALS | BIOPLASTICS
Right: Cambridge’s ‘spider silk’ polymer will be commercial- ised by spin- off company Xampla
director at Brightplus, which coordinated the project. “Depending on the application, we can modify the material’s properties – such as its transparency and thermoformability – or improve its chemical resistance and reusability.”
Out of the wood US researchers have devised a new method to convert wood by-products into a biodegradable polymer. The researchers – from Yale School of the
solvent is removed – leaving a water-insoluble film. It has a performance equivalent to plastics such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE). The regular molecular arrangement means there is no need for chemical cross-linking.
Soy source Four Nordic companies have developed a process to make compostable bioplastic from food produc- tion waste. Finnfoam, Brightplus, VTT and Nordic Soya have spent four years exploring how to convert soy molasses – which is not suitable for consumption and is typically disposed of by incineration – into a bioplastic. A pilot plant will now be built in Finland – and
later scaled up to make bioplastics on an industrial scale. “The process is the first in the world to produce lactic acid polymer from the side streams of soy production,” said Henri Nieminen, CEO of Finn- foam. “This way, we can offer a sustainable alterna- tive to sugar- and corn-based PLA.” Nordic Soya processes soy at its plant in
Right: Four Nordic
companies are building a plant to convert soy molasses into a compostable bioplastic
Uusikaupunki, Finland. Soy molasses left over from its processing was used as the raw material in the research. Globally, residues from soy production could produce around 22 million tonnes of bioplastic per year, say the partners. The companies are launching a pilot plant project in Uusikaupunki, which will be built during 2021- 2022. They plan to operate a full-scale plant by the end of 2023. Finnfoam intends to use the material to make thermal insulation for buildings. Its ecological quality is enhanced by the fact that thermal insulation also serves as a carbon sink, helping to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings. “Side streams that are unusable in food produc- tion can now be used to make high value bio- based products,” said Jarkko Leivo, technology
14 FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION | July/August 2021
www.filmandsheet.com
Environment (YSE) and the University of Maryland – have deconstructed the porous matrix of natural wood into a slurry. The research was published in a recent issue of Nature Sustainability.
“Many people have tried to develop these kinds
of polymers, but the mechanical strands are not good enough to replace the plastics we currently use,” said Yuan Yao, assistant professor of industrial ecology and sustainable systems at YSE, and co-author of the paper. “We’ve developed a simple, straightforward manufacturing process that generates biomass-based plastics from wood – that also delivers good mechanical properties.” To create the slurry, the researchers used a wood powder – which is usually discarded as waste in lumber mills – and deconstructed the loose, porous structure of the powder using a deep eutectic solvent (DES). The resulting mixture, which features nanoscale entanglement and hydrogen bonding between the regenerated lignin and cellulose micro/ nanofibrils, has a high solid content and viscosity, which can be cast or rolled without breaking. The was followed by life cycle assessment, to test the environmental impact of the bioplastic against typical plastics. Sheets of the bioplastic were buried in soil, and degraded completely after three months. The researchers say the bioplastic
IMAGE: XAMPLA
IMAGE: NORDIC SOYA
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