K2019 Review macromolecular core technologies, where plant oils and its fatty acids are used as a primary raw material. Kaneka has been piloting the production of PHBH at its Takasago headquarters in Japan since 2011. Current production is running at 1,000 tonnes/year, and will be upscaled to 5,000 tonnes/year by December 2019. Kaneka’s PHBH is targeted at a number of products
Golden Compound’s reusable/compostable coffee cup, uses a biopolyester enriched with up to 40% sunflower shells
These shells are a waste product in the production of sunflower oil. Firstly, they enable the saving of bioplastics and secondly, they increase the stability of the product. The dishwasher-safe coffee cups also decompose in the soil and do not have to be brought to a temperature of 60°C, as is the case with PLA. A lot is also happening on the material side. For instance, Biofibre GmbH, a 100% subsidiary of German machine maker LWB Steinl, has developed a biobased plastic with good properties for injection moulding, which a customer is using for the production of shoetrees. This has opened up other areas of application for the material, for example, in the furniture area. The products still cost more than comparable products made of conventional materials, but consumers are now prepared to pay more for an environmentally-friendly product. Demand is also coming from countries where certain plastic products have been banned and require alternative materials . Christoph Glammert of Biofibre explains the company’s products
New showcases of biobased plastics Japanese firm Kaneka showcased its biobased and biodegradable polymer PHBH, following recent food contact material approval in the EU, Japan and the US. It says it is not only recyclable through composting, but is also biodegradable in natural environments, including marine waters. With “OK Biodegradable MARINE” certification that guarantees biodegradability in sea water, Kaneka’s new solution can help to reduce marine pollution. The new biopolymer is produced through a microorganism fermentation process, a successful merging between Kaneka's fermentation and
Italian chemical firm Eni’s subsidiary Versalis has launched a new line of products made of recycled plastic called Versalis Revive. The first of these is an expandable polystyrene (EPS) made of recycled raw materials from separated domestic waste collected in Italy, including PS cups, trays and yoghurt pots. The project is being carried out in collaboration with COREPLA (National Consortium for the Collection, Recycling and Recovery of Plastic Packaging). The material has been commercially available from November and can be used as insulating panels, or as protective packaging for appliances and furniture. Other initiatives are under development, with the goal of producing over 20,000 tonnes/year of PS products containing recycled materials. Another product, Versalis Revive PE, includes LDPE/ HDPE-based compounds, containing up to 75% of urban PCR, mainly from recycled packaging. These products can be used for multiple applications, particularly in the agricultural sector for drip irrigation, and in the packaging sector, including for small containers of up to 5 l, as well as film applications, such as for bags for industrial products or mineral water packaging. These products have been developed in collaboration with the Versalis Research Centre in Mantua and recycling firm Montello SpA. In other news, Dutch chemical firm DSM Engineering Plastics plans to offer bio-and/or recycledbased alternatives for its entire DSM’s Shruti Singhal said range of engineering plastics that the firm intends to roll by 2030, which will contain out 25%-recycled mateat least 25% recycled and/or rial content engineering biobased content by weight. plastics by 2030 NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019
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