MATERIALS | BIOPLASTICS
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Novamont says biodegradable mulch films can reduce the amount of plastic that goes to landfill
The film itself is thinner than the standard LDPE used for mulch films – yet had the same toughness. This compensated for the higher cost of the material, he said. The longer life of the film helped to reduce water evaporation and nutrient leaching, control weeds and maintain soil structure. Degradation rates in loamy soil was faster than it was for sandy soil. Metallised mulch helps crops in several ways.
Reflecting UV and IR radiation helps to deter pests, accelerate plant growth and cool the plant’s surroundings. Depending on the crop, the time from planting to harvest can be reduced by 50 % compared to bare ground or black mulch, he said. Fully metallised mulches also cool the soil in an entire bed over the whole season in hot climates. At the same event, Novamont of Italy – whose
main product is the starch-derived bioplastic Mater-Bi – said that its biodegradable mulch films have been used to grow a number of crops that are not normally mulched with plastics. Some crops where it has been applied include tomatoes, rice, grapes, raspberries, sweetcorn and olives. The company pointed out that agricultural film accounts for around 5% of all plastic waste – and that some films have high levels of impurity when they are collected. In addition, around half of all agricultural plastic used in Europe is landfilled. Biodegradable mulch film, on the other hand, can be worked into the soil at the end of the season. This reduces cost – by removing the need for collection – while also cutting plastic waste. The company said biodegradable mulch film offers a “tool for sustainability”.
Green expansion Braskem is one of a number of companies that is boosting biopolymer production – in this case, by raising its capacity of ‘green ethylene’, which is made from sugarcane ethanol. The feedstock is used to make polyethylene (PE) that is bio-based, rather than being made from petrochemicals. Capacity of the raw material, which is made at the company’s plant in Triunfo, Brazil, will be increased from 200,000 tonnes/year to 260,000 tonnes/year. The expansion project, budgeted at US$61 million, should be finished by the end of 2022. “The increase in biopolymer capacity and
production reflects healthy growth in demand for sustainable products,” said Marco Jansen, global biopolymers leader at Braskem. “Our expansion aims to consolidate our leadership in biopolymers.”
PLA plant approval NatureWorks says it has passed two key mile- stones in its plan to build a second production
22 FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION | July/August 2021
facility for its Ingeo PLA bioplastic – in Thailand. In June, the company received approval for the
project from the Thailand Board of Investment. At the same time, front-end engineering design work has also been completed. When it opens by 2024, the plant – on Thailand’s Nakhon Sawan Biocomplex – will have a capacity of 75,000 tonnes/year of PLA and produce the full portfolio of Ingeo grades. As well as making polymer it will produce lactic acid and lactide – making it the world’s first polylactide facility designed to be fully integrated, says NatureWorks. NatureWorks, which is owned by Thailand-based
PTT Global Chemical and US agriproducts giant Cargill, recently expanded its original facility at Blair in Nebraska, USA. This has a capacity of more than 150,000 tonnes/year and is claimed to be the largest PLA production facility in the world. “The approval and support from the Thailand
Board of Investment was a critical milestone on our path toward opening our new facility in Thailand,” said Rich Altice, president and CEO of Nature- Works. “With the capacity expansion in Blair and this new manufacturing complex, we can further address the global market demand for sustainable materials.”
Indian bioplastics JV SKYi FKuR Biopolymers, a new joint venture between Germany’s FKuR Kunststoff and India’s SKYi Innovations, has begun production of biodegradable, partially biobased plastics at Chakan in India. The facility operates a three-shift compounding
line, which will produce a significant part of FKuR’s Bio-Flex range for the Indian and regional markets. It is claimed to be the first dedicated manufacturer of compostable biopolymer compounds in India.
www.filmandsheet.com
IMAGE: NOVAMONT
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