BIO-BASED POLYMERS | MATERIALS
Above: Eurotec’s PLA and PBS materials are available with various natural additives, including (left to right): beech powder, nutshell powder, corn cob powder, walnut shell powder and wood shavings
products,” says Haftka. Eurotec is another compounder that has
created its own green product portfolio. Its 100% biodegradable polymer product line consists of PLA, PBS and natural additives (including wood flour, walnut shell powder, beech powder, apricot kernel powder, nutshell powder and corn cob powder) reinforced with blends of these polymers. The company also offers compounds contain- ing the same natural additives, but using a polypropylene matrix. MAIP Compounding in Italy is continuing with development of compounds based on various types of polymers in the PHA family, for injection moulding and also extrusion, in its IamNature range. One grade, IamNature B6 G713, based on PHBH, has obtained TUV Austria certification for composting, even at a thickness of 2.17 mm. Another grade, IamNature B6 E13 516 E21M, obtained TUV Austria’s top four-star rating for bio-based content. Similar grades have been used by Prodir,
a leading Swiss producer of promotional products, for a special pen, the QS40 True Biotic. Prodir is promoting the pen as “created by nature for the nature,” claiming the PHA it is made from is a “plastic-free biopolymer”. Another grade, IamNature B6 E13/429 G1, was chosen by the bio-cosmetics manufac- turer Eywa to underline the green character of all its production, which is based on natural components. Nexe Innovations in Vancouver,
Canada, is a processor working with Ingeo PLA from NatureWorks. Zac Hudson, Chief Scientific Officer at the company, says its aim is to replace traditional single-use plastics with sustainable, fully compostable alternatives. Compounds of Ingeo and plant fibre are used to produce fully compostable coffee pods
www.injectionworld.com
compatible with Keurig single-serve brewing systems. The pods composted in as little as 35 days during field trials conducted at a biofuels facility. The company has spent five years in research and development of the pod, which it commer- cialised this April via its subsidiary Xoma Super- foods. Xoma produces such beverages for the health and wellness market as “keto” coffee, mushroom coffee and a coffee with medium-chain triglycerides from coconut oil. A second product line for Nespresso pods is set to launch later this year. Hudson says Nexe aims to partner with large coffee brands to offer a sustainable single-serve option for consumers. Nexe recently expanded its production facilities to bring manufacturing of the pods in-house. It is installing industrial-scale compounding and injection moulding equipment. Pods will then be dosed with coffee and packaged. “This technol- ogy platform can be readily applied to other products calling out for a sustain- able solution, such as meat and fish trays, eyeglass frames, disposable facemasks, or cosmetics packaging,” says Hudson. He says the company does not intend to sell compound to other processors at this time. Manufacturing efforts at Nexe are
supported by rapid prototyping new product designs via 3D printing with PLA filament (also see the feature on Additive Manufacturing on page 29). And the company continues to inno- vate: part of its facility expansion will be dedicated to R&D on new compostable formulations, in an effort to extend product shelf-life and accelerate composting. “As consumers and businesses make
the shift away from conventional plastics, Nexe hopes to see improved guidance from local and regional governments on
June 2021 | INJECTION WORLD 45
Left: Prodir has designed pens that are made with PHA from MAIP Compounding’s IamNature range
IMAGE: EUROTEC
IMAGE: PRODIR
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
