Materials News
Green agenda Highlighted in this report are an initiative to put to rest the oxo debate; sustainable technology to create chemicals using photosynthesis; and partnerships to create biobased plastics. Putting to rest the oxo debate Biodegradable plastics (made from renewable resources such as PLA, PHA and TPS or from petroleum such as PBAT, PBS) can offer benefits for certain applications. Such applications can be in agriculture (mulch film), household (biowaste collection bags) and much more. Whether such biodegradable plastics are a solution against littering is a different discussion. However, there is a big discussion going on worldwide about so-called oxo-degradable plastics. These products are traditional (non-degradable) plastics such as PE, PP and PET, mixed with a small percentage of an additive. Companies bringing such products to market claim that they are biodegradable, although not everyone agrees. Currently the European Commission is considering a possible ban on oxo-degradable carrier bags. Also in France, a group of MPs in the French National Assembly has called for a similar ban. Predictably, the oxodegradable plastics industry has reacted furiously. Experts complain about missing scientifically based evidence from neutral, independent laboratories or certification bodies. As long as such evidence is missing, critics doubt the complete biodegradation and call these products oxo-fragmentable. Now OWS (Organic Waste Systems, Gent, Belgium) and IKT (Institute of Polymer Technology, University Stuttgart, Germany) are planning a multi-client study on the oxo-degradable plastics. Building on a desk research by OWS for Plastics Europe (2013), a comprehensive laboratory testing programme is planned. The laboratory tests shall ultimately proof or disproof if such products are biodegradable or not. In a first phase, a number of oxo-degradable plastic products available in the market will be abiotically treated. In a second phase, the fragmented parts will be used for further biodegradation testing according to internationally accepted ISO and ASTM standards. The contribution for this study is estimated at EUR10,000 to 20,000 per partner, depending on the number of interested companies. The partners are aiming at a broad participation including government agencies, consumer goods producers, NGO’s, oxo-degradable producers and the bioplastics industry. Power of the sun to create chemicals AkzoNobel and cleantech company Photanol have teamed up to develop a process for harnessing the power of the sun to make chemicals. The two companies will work on creating sustainable technology that mimics the
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OCTOBER 2014
way plants use photosynthesis. The aim is to produce "green" chemical building blocks that will eventually replace raw materials AkzoNobel currently obtains from fossil-based production. The collaboration is focused on Photanol's existing proprietary technology, which uses light to directly convert CO2 from the air into predetermined raw materials such as acetic acid and butanol. The only by-product is oxygen. The two companies will start by developing a number of specific chemicals that are currently used by AkzoNobel's Specialty Chemicals Business Area. The partnership is intended to be a stepping stone for potential commercial production of fourth generation biobased chemicals. Carbon fibre from biomass The US Department of Energy (DOE) has given out a funding of US$5.9 million for development of biobased carbon fibres to the Southern Research Institute (SRI). The DOE award will fund development of a multi-step catalytic process for conversion of sugars from nonfood biomass to acrylonitrile – a key precursor in the production of carbon fibre. Industrial demand for carbon fibre continues to grow due to its high strength and light weight in a number of fields including defense, space, aviation, automotive, wind turbine production, and sporting goods manufacturing. SRI is exploring novel methods of producing acrylonitrile and other biobased chemicals and fuels using renewable, non-food-based biomass feedstocks. Team members included in SRI’s original application to DOE are Cytec Carbon Fibers LLC and New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). The biobased acrylonitrile produced by SRI’s process will be validated by Cytec, a major carbon fibre manufacturer, and compared with petroleum-based acrylonitrile as a potential direct substitute. NJIT will assist with catalyst characterisation for optimising catalyst performance. Furthermore, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), which is the DOE’s primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency R&D, will also receive funding to investigate and optimise multiple pathways to bio-acrylonitrile. Other recipients of the DOE funding to develop lowcost carbon fibre process include Dow Chemical, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and vehicle maker Ford Motor. ORNL has also been exploring the use of lignin extracted as a by-product of cellulosic ethanol fuel production as a raw material for carbon fibre production.