BIO-BASED POLYMERS | MATERIALS
its position as a provider of sustainable solutions for injection moulding to include bio-based and biodegradable plastics. One of the most ubiquitous application areas
where Trinseo biodegradable materials can be found is in single-serve coffee capsules. The company offers Apinat Bio products, which are biodegrad- able and compostable. It says that for this particular application, they offer exceptional mechanical and thermal characteristics, including high oxygen barrier properties. They are based on between 60% and more than 90% renewable resources. Trinseo says it sees an important need for bio-
degradables in this application. “In 2016 alone, the industry still produced more than 35 billion non- recyclable plastic coffee capsules worldwide with experts expecting an increase of 17 billion plastic capsules by the end of 2020,” it says. “Non-recycla- ble capsules end up as landfill waste. This reality combined with growing global coffee consumption creates the need for more sustainable solutions.” Bio-Fed, a branch of compounder Akro-Plastic,
offers M·Vera GP1012 for coffee capsules. This bio- polyester-based compound – the company does not specify which polyester – was recently tested by inspection, control and certification corporation TÜV Austria and awarded the “OK biodegradable Soil” certificate as per EN 13432. To qualify, at least 90% of the material must degrade into carbon dioxide and water. The supplier says all elements of the com- pounds meet FDA requirements for use in products that come into contact with foodstuffs. The require- ments for other certificates such as “OK compost Home,” as well as approval for products intended to come into contact with food as per EU 10/2011, are expected to be met this year. Due to its light colour, the material can be col-
oured with a bio-based masterbatch from another Akro-Plastic branch, AF-Color.
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At the Fakuma exhibition in Friedrichshafen, Germany last October, compounder FKuR present- ed various bio-based thermoplastic compounds, including an advanced injection moulding grade Bio-Flex S 7514, as well as bio-based TPEs. It says the PLA-based Bio-Flex S 7514 has been optimised by the company to improve processability. With an MFR of 27 g/10 min, it can be used in multi-cavity moulds and the production of parts with longer flow paths. FKuR also says that the high heat resistance (Vicat A 110°C), which is achieved without anneal- ing to increase crystallinity, allows for shorter cycle times. Typical examples of use are catering applica- tions such as cutlery. Bio-Flex S 7514 has a bio- based content of 75% and is available in both natu- ral and white, which can be coloured if required.
PHB primer Polyhydroxyalkanoates, PHAs, have been around for a long time. It is now over 35 years since ICI introduced Biopol, a polyhydroxybutyrate, or PHB. But it has taken until quite recently for the band- wagon to start rolling. Today, PHAs are offered by numerous suppliers, many of them start-ups, and volumes are on the rise. One major innovator in the field, Bio-on, has in recent months announced a series of initiatives involving its technology that will take its Minerv PHAs into areas well beyond injection moulding, including slow-release cap- sules for fertilisers, micro-powders for cosmetics, fashion products, and even electronics. It is also developing new ways to make PHAs, not only from biomass, but also frying oil and carbon dioxide. But the learning curve to get the most out of these polymers is quite steep. “At least once a week I receive a mail asking for our PHB,” Urs Hänggi, the head of supplier Biomer told a recent conference on PHAs. “I have to explain that it’s not true what is said in the introduction of nearly all papers on PHB, that native PHB is a thermoplastic with properties like PP. This is wrong. PHB is a polymer having ther- moplastic properties pretty much like DNA also has thermoplastics properties. However, in contrast to PHB, nobody labels DNA a thermoplastic. “A PHB bottle breaks when you squeeze it, it
cracks when one tries to bend it, and its properties change over time. All essential proper- ties, except the melting points, are different in PHB and far from being useful as a replacement of PP. PHB becomes a fantas- tic thermoplastic by focusing on its unique (hidden) properties; and by knowing
March 2019 | INJECTION WORLD 53
Left: Typical applications of FKuR’s Bio-Flex S 7514 PLA compound, which has been optimised for flowability and heat resistance, include catering items such as cutlery
Below: Coffee capsules – a possible application for M·Vera GP1012 from Bio-Fed
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