BIO-BASED PLASTICS | MATERIALS
“green” grades under the Tecobio banner. It says the 100% biodegradable polymer product line consists of compounds based on PLA, PBS, and PBAT, using fillers and additives that include glass fibre, mineral filler, impact modifier, wood flour, waste filler (walnut shell, nutshell and corn cob powder) and natural fibre (flax, kenaf, sisal and jute fibres). “These materials need a special compounding
range in durometer from 30-70 Shore A and offer comparable performance, look, feel, and smell to traditional petroleum-based TPEs. Eight of the new grades can be over-moulded on polypropylene and the ninth grade bonds to both PP and polyeth- ylene. Custom formulations may also be developed to meet specific application or sustainability targets. Avient says the new TPEs “have an opaque
natural colour and offer excellent colourability, just like prime TPEs. This tone allows the materials to showcase a natural aesthetic or be coloured to match design specifications with traditional TPE colorants or sustainable colour options from Avient.” Target applications include personal care products, cosmetic packaging, toys, and phone accessories. Plant-based reSound Bio formulations are available globally and produced in America and Asia. For medical applications, Avient has just unveiled its expanded line of bio-based Mevopur medical-grade polymer solutions. The new colour and additive concentrates and tailored ready-to- use formulations are made with bio-based PC, ABS, or styrenic polymers. These are in addition to bio-based polyolefin materials that Avient intro- duced in 2021. The new Mevopur concentrates include poly- mers with bio-based content between 70 and 100%, as calculated to ASTM D6866 standard. Along with pre-coloured formulations for users who prefer ready-to-use solutions, they are more sustainable drop-in replacements for fossil-based materials. These bio-based materials can be processed on standard injection moulding ma- chines and extruders and can be recycled in the same recycling channels as conventional fossil- based polymers. Compounder Eurotec has also developed
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process due to low thermal stability and require special care and pre-treatment before compound- ing,” says the company. “We offer tailor-made sustainable bioplastics.” Tecobio PL30 WR30 NL (PLA with 30% wood filler) can be used in pen bodies, toothbrushes, cutlery, cups, and is also suitable for 3D printing applications. Tecobio PL40 MF25 NL 01 (PLA and PBS blends with 25% mineral filler) is used in cutlery and cups due to its good thermal stability and flexibility. Eurotec also provides solutions for bio-polyam- ides with glass fibre and recycled carbon fibres. Tecomid Bio NI40 CR30 BK111 HS is a PA 610 reinforced with 30% recycled carbon fibre, aimed at automotive applications as a replacement for PA 6 and PA 66. Tecomid NZ40 GR30 NL HS (bio- based PA with 30% glass fibre) is used as a replace- ment for PA 66 in automotive applications. Green Dot Bioplastics in Emporia, Kansas, describes itself as a “full-service bioplastics company dedicated to delivering the very best of sustainable materials to our customers.” Its Terratek lines incorporate bio-based and compostable materials, tailored to individual applications. It recently partnered with major automotive Tier One Mayco International to reclaim trim and scrap fibres
Left: Terratek BD is targeted at parts with long flow paths and complex shapes, including incorporation of living hinges
Properties of PP-based compounds containing various types of natural fibre, compared with virgin PP Source: Green Dot Bioplastics
June 2022 | INJECTION WORLD 45
IMAGE: GREEN DOT
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