MATERIALS | BIOPLASTICS


China bioplastic market set to treble by 2026


The Chinese market for bioplastics is expected to treble by 2026. A report from Nova Institute in Germany predicts a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 49%. It expects the bioplastics industry in China to expand from around 766,000 tonnes in 2023 to more than 2.5 million tonnes in 2026. “China’s bio-based plastics industry


is experiencing rapid growth which is largely driven by policy incentives,” said the report. One key policy, introduced in 2021,


was the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Bioeconomy. The Chinese government has since


introduced other policies and regulations to promote bio-based and biodegradable materials, including the Three-Year Action Plan to Acceler- ate the Innovative Development of Non-Food Bio-based Materials, in 2023.


It aims to make non-food, bio-


based products competitive with fossil-based products by 2050. While policies like these – and


PHA shows a good balance between stiffness, strength tear and puncture.” Compared to pure PLA film, the PLA/PHA films have a faster composting rate, higher output, improved flexibility and higher toughness, he said. “MDO combined with CA1240PF leads to


microporous films – resulting in reduced density,” he added.


Below: A bio-based foam, devel- oped by Rise and Apple, has a small, uniform pore size


Cellulose foam In a joint project, Swedish research institute Rise and Apple have developed a bio-based foam based on cellulose. Its properties suggest that it could replace fossil-based materials such as polymer foam in packaging, insulation and lightweight composites. The results are presented in a white paper. “Developing new bio-based materials is an


important part of reducing our dependence on fossil materials,” said Henrik Bagewitz, VP of business development at Rise. “Our role is to drive sustainable transition and innovation in close collaboration with industry.”


investment from private equity firms – have contributed to industry growth, they have also led to structural overcapacity, says Nova. In 2023, annual production capacity of PLA and PBAT was 1.5 million tonnes (while actual production was only 260,000 tonnes), and is expected to reach 3.6 million tonnes by 2025. However, the market size is only expected to reach 2.5 million tonnes, suggesting overcapacity in the biodegradable plastics market. � www.nova-institut.de


The new material, a cellulose foam, has shown


good properties such as resistance to compression (expanding after being compressed) and a small, uniform pore size. The production process is relatively simple and the material can be recycled together with regular paper. Other than packaging, it has applications in the automotive industry and as a construction material, says Rise. “We want to take the next step with this new


material and are looking for stakeholders who want to help drive the development forward,” said Bagewitz.


Flexible PLA Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research (IAP) have developed a form of PLA that can be processed into films in a similar way to LDPE using conventional processing plants. “There are usually no bio-based counterparts for fossil plastics with the same material properties,” said Antje Lieske, head of the polymer synthesis department at Fraunhofer IAP. “Although properties can be improved with additives, these interfere with recycling processes further down the line – and they are not bio-based.” Due to its stiffness, PLA is suitable for rigid


packaging but less so for flexible disposable packaging such as shopping bags – but the Fraunhofer researchers have overcome this by coupling polyether plasticisers directly with the PLA polymer chain – making the material more flexible over the long term. Polyethers are non-toxic, commercially available and can be produced from bio-based raw materials. Anchoring the plasticisers to the polymer prevents the additive from migrating. It was produced by


18 FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION | July/August 2024 www.filmandsheet.com


IMAGE: RISE


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