NaturalPlastics1

Biomaterial Delivers Exceptional Performance In Dental Implant Applications.

Solvay achieves ISO 13485:2003 certification for the quality system that governs the production of its Solviva® Biomaterials offered for use in implantable medical devices.

Solvay Advanced Polymers, LLC, announced today that it has achieved ISO 13485:2003 certification for the quality system that governs the production of its Solviva Biomaterials offered for use in implantable medical devices. The international quality standard facilitates harmonized medical device regulatory requirements for quality management systems applicable to medical devices and related services.

ISO 13485:2003 is a quality standard that specifies certain quality system requirements to ensure consistent manufacturing, according to Judy Melville, business manager, Solviva products. “This achievement demonstrates our commitment to the medical device industry,” said Melville. “It also reaffirms our position as a reliable supplier that is solidly focused on meeting the quality standards of our customers.” Melville noted that a key element of the ISO quality standard is the use of validation methods to ensure consistent high-quality manufacturing. Solvay Advanced Polymers produces its unique line of biomaterials – featuring exceptional strength, stiffness, and biocompatibility – at a dedicated manufacturing facility in Alpharetta, Ga.

The entire line of Solviva Biomaterials is manufactured in compliance with ISO 13485 and under the relevant aspects of current Good Manufacturing Practices. The company’s biomaterial manufacturing processes are carefully validated and enhanced controls provide product traceability. In addition, all materials are tested in a lab accredited to the ISO 17025:2005 standard.

The Solviva Biomaterials line includes Zeniva® polyetheretherketone (PEEK), one of the most biostable plastics available with high strength and stiffness plus excellent toughness and fatigue resistance; Proniva® self-reinforced polyphenylene (SRP), one of the world’s stiffest and strongest unreinforced thermoplastics that offers exceptional biocompatibility and hardness; Veriva® polyphenylsulfone (PPSU), which provides unsurpassed toughness combined with transparency and excellent biocompatibility; and Eviva® polysulfone (PSU), which offers practical toughness in a strong, transparent polymer.

Solviva Biomaterials can be sterilized via all conventional methods including gamma radiation, ethylene oxide, and steam. These products are available in resin for injection molding or extrusion, as well as stock shapes for machined components. Solvay Advanced Polymers is currently in active product trials with several medical device manufacturers using the broad range of Solviva biomaterials.

Solvay’s experience as a key materials supplier in the healthcare field spans more than 20 years. The company has been a leading manufacturer of high-performance plastics, offering its traditional range of materials for medical devices. More recently, Solvay has successfully introduced its line of Solviva Biomaterials for a range of implantable devices. The company is a full-service supplier, providing design, technical service, and application development support for the global healthcare market.

BASF has started operations at its expanded plant for the production of the biodegradable plastic Ecoflex^®. Expansion of the existing plant in Ludwigshafen will increase production capacity for Ecoflex from 14,000 to 74,000 metric tons per year. At the same time, BASF will ramp up compounding capacity for Ecovio^®, a derivative of Ecoflex.

“We are already successful in the market with our biodegradable polyester Ecoflex and the related innovation, Ecovio. The larger production capacities will enhance our position significantly,” said Dr. Wolfgang Hapke, president of BASF’s Performance Polymers division. “The capacity expansion will also enable us to respond even more effectively to our customers’ wishes.”

Ecoflex is a plastic that has the properties of conventional polyethylene but is fully biodegradable under industrial composting conditions in accordance with DIN EN 13432. Ecovio is a derivative of Ecoflex that is also biodegradable and that contains up to 75 percent renewable raw materials. Typical applications are shopping bags, organic waste bags, mulch films for agricultural applications, and food packaging. One of the latest innovations is Ecovio FS Paper, which is used to provide a biodegradable waterproof coating on the interior surfaces of paper cups and cardboard containers.

With Ecovio and Ecoflex, BASF is already one of the world’s leading suppliers of biobased and biodegradable plastics. Both of these properties are increasingly in demand, and the market for biodegradable and biobased plastics is currently growing by more than 20 percent per year.

About BASF

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics and performance products to agricultural products, fine chemicals as well as oil and gas. As a reliable partner BASF creates chemistry to help its customers in virtually all industries to be more successful. With its high-value products and intelligent solutions, BASF plays an important role in finding answers to global challenges such as climate protection, energy efficiency, nutrition and mobility. BASF posted sales of more than €50 billion in 2009 and had approximately 105,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN).

Cardia Bioplastics is pleased to announce that is has established a 100% subsidiary “CO2STARCH Pty Ltd”. This vehicle will be used to commercialise the company’s patented novel CO?polymer-starch blending technology.

CO2STARCH Pty Ltd will hold all the intellectual property and patents and will serve as the platform for the development and commercialization of a family of CO2based polymers.

Cardia launched the world's first CO2+Starch biodegradable carrier bag (made using CO2 emissions) in October 2010 and has since received interest in the technology from several major international organizations including petrochemical companies. The breakthrough technology allows PPC (polypropylene carbonate) to be blended
with starch.

In simple terms, CO2 emissions are captured and used as a substitute for oil and then further blended with starch as an additional substitute for oil to create a renewable and sustainable bioplastics that rely less on fossil fuels.

Mouse M440 ECO is an essential input device in new design, made from 100% bio material with PVC free cable. Following all hand movements smoothly and precisely, the elegant M440 ECO works on nearly every surface. It features two buttons and one scroll wheel button. The human-centric shape makes it comfortable for both right and left-handed users. M440 ECO is equipped with the convenient USB Plug&Play, and it is also the best companion with our green family Keyboard KBPC PX ECO.

Source: www.fujitsu.com

What is claimed as the world's first commercially-produced bio-derived PET fibre will go into commercial production in Japan in April 2012. Teijin Fibers is introducing the material, dubbed EcoCircle PlantFiber, as both a fibre and a textile and expects to sell 30,000 tonnes in the first year, and raise the rate to 70,000 tonnes by the third year of business. It will be the company's core biomaterial for applications ranging from apparel, car seats and interiors to personal hygiene products.
     EcoCircle PlantFiber is made roughly 30 per cent from materials derived from biomass such as sugar cane. Conventional PET typically is made by polymerising ethylene glycol with dimethyl terephthalate or telephthalic acid, the EG accounting for roughly 30 per cent. The EG is replaced by the bio-derived material rather than oil-derived, in a similar way to the new Ecological Plastics materials recently unveiled by Toyota and the celebrated PlantBottle material being used by Coca-Cola.
     Teijin Fibers gives its new product an extra spin by integrating it with its EcoCircle closed-loop polyester recycling system in which reclaimed polyester garments are taken back chemically to DMT which the company says is at a purity and quality comparable to material derived directly from petroleum – avoiding the quality degradation which it says has been an issue of conventional recycling based on physical processing. Compared to manufacturing raw polyester materials from oil, Teijin says it is possible to reduce both energy consumption and CO₂ emission by about 80 per cent.
     The EcoCircle system has now been developed into broader reclamation of polyester products – bottles and PET film have been added to the garment fabric on which the system was based – and in 2004 was extended into developmental processes for reclaiming polycarbonate and polylactic acid. The polycarbonate process is said to give a recycling rate of 96 per cent for bisphenol-A, with reductions in impurities, energy consumption and cost compared with the conventional distillation recycling process.
     When applied to PLA the technology uses water alone as a reactor and requires no catalysts or other additives. Normally, PLA is produced from L-lactic acid. Teijin says that if the optical isomer, D-lactic acid – a by-product of the recycling process – is mixed in, the physical properties of the polymer deteriorate. The Teijin technology "facilitates the recovery of almost 100 per cent of the L-lactic acid and essentially prevents the production of by-product D-lactic acid." Production of recycled PLA using this technology uses over 33 per cent less energy than production using plant matter, says Teijin.
     Teijin says it is also close to commercialising a system for reclaiming notoriously difficult-to-recycle carbon fibres.

Source: http://www.britishplastics.co.uk/

New blends of thermoplastic starch (TPS) and polypropylene (PP) developed by Teknor Apex Company enable processors to incorporate high levels of both bio-based and recycled content into their products while obtaining physical properties comparable to those of virgin PP, it was announced today by the Bioplastics Division.

The new blends are available in the Terraloy® BP-13020 series of ready-to-process compounds, each with a combined 95% content consisting of TPS and recycled PP; and as Terraloy® MB-13020 masterbatches, which can be let down at a 1:1 ratio in virgin PP for a combined 47% bio-based and recyclate content.

Teknor Apex manufactures the blends using a patented process that incorporates high levels of starch without the usual substantial falloff in the physical properties of the host polymer, noted Edwin Tam, manager of strategic initiatives. “Many processors are looking for ways to help customers meet sustainability goals by incorporating ‘green’ content but are discouraged by the property tradeoffs often involved,” Tam said. “Our Terraloy products can help them meet sustainability goals while still obtaining performance comparable to those of standard polypropylene.”

Teknor Apex recommends the new blends for use in injection molded consumer products, extruded sheet, profiles, and tubing, and blow molded jars and bottles.

Terraloy® BP-13020 ready-to-process compounds are blends of 25 to 30% TPS and 70 to 75% PP, of which 70 to 75% is recyclate. Terraloy® MB-13020 masterbatches have 35 to 50% TPS content and up to 50% recyclate. Customers can use the masterbatches in a 1:1 letdown with either virgin or recycled PP.

Data in the accompanying table show how two Terraloy compounds, based on homopolymer and copolymer PP, respectively, compare with virgin PP in terms of physical properties. Teknor Apex can custom formulate compounds to maximize specific properties such as impact strength or flexural modulus.

Source: www.teknorapex.com

Environmentally conscious consumers can now replace or recycle their existing home and garden plastic products and replace them with all new PROGANIC products.

The unique biopolymer PROGANIC provides the ecological, aesthetic and yet sophisticated alternative to conventional plastic. This contemporary fabric is exceptional robust, 100% natural and full biodegradable. It adds more sense and dynamics to everyday life by combining a residue free material with smart designs and energetic colors. The launch includes watering cans and flower pots, with many more items to be added in the near future.

PROGANIC consists of 100% natural and renewable ingredients (such as glucose, palm wax) and minerals - even the striking colour tones are achieved naturally. This visionary biopolymer makes an enormous contribution to protecting the earth’s dwindling natural resources. In terms of product performance it is comparable to conventional plastic. BUT: contrary to ordinary plastic the highly resilient PROGANIC is completely broken down and absorbed back into Earths natural cycle once it is placed in active compost.

PROGANIC is a registered trademark of PROPPER, Germany.

It has been tested and approved by the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and recommended for use in the food industry. In addition it also conforms to European norm 71, Articles 3 and 9 (toys). In short PROGANIC is THE sustainable material of the future. It is easily recognisable by its seal of quality.

Source: www.propper.de/

NatureWorks LLC and BP Consulting, Inc. announced today that BP Consulting will begin distributing Ingeo biopolymer in Japan. Ingeo is an innovative plastic that is made from plants, not oil.

Since BP Consulting’s inception in 2007, it has been an innovator in bio-based packaging materials. This passion for innovation, in addition to the company’s commitment to offer sustainable solutions to the Japanese market, moved the company to focus on Ingeo applications.

"The broad distribution of Ingeo biopolymers to Japanese manufacturers and brand owners will give companies new opportunities to develop more sustainable packaging, foodservice items, health and beauty aids, durable/semi-durables, compounded resins, and nonwovens," says BP Consulting president Takeyuki Yamamatsu. "A number of these products will be for both local consumption and for export to the United States, the European Union, and Asia Pacific — major trading partners with Japan."

BP Consulting will distribute the full Ingeo product family of resins. The company’s personnel will provide technical support to converters and enable them to seamlessly transition plastics made from non-renewable petroleum to Ingeo biopolymers.

The agreement with BP Consulting, Inc. signals NatureWorks’ long-term commitment to support Japanese businesses as they move toward greater sustainability. Ingeo biopolymer, made from renewable plant material, not oil, emits 60 percent less greenhouse gas and requires 48 percent less energy to manufacture into resin as compared to such plastics as PET.

BP Consulting, Inc. and NatureWorks LLC will be present and supporting Ingeo partners at Eco-Products 2010 at Tokyo Big Sight from December 9th to 11th (booth # P-05, Bioplastic Pavilion, East Hall 2).

To view numerous examples of how companies around the world have incorporated Ingeo into their products, visit NatureWorks’ most recent LookBook. For more information on Ingeo, visit www.natureworksllc.com and BP Consulting, Inc. www.bpc-tyo.com.

About NatureWorks LLC
NatureWorks LLC is a company dedicated to meeting the world’s needs today without compromising the earth’s ability to meet the needs of tomorrow. NatureWorks LLC is the first company to offer a family of commercially available, low-carbon footprint Ingeo biopolymers derived from 100 percent annually renewable resources with performance and economics that compete with oil-based plastics and fibers. For more information, visit www.natureworksllc.com.

About BP Consulting, Inc.
BP Consulting, Inc. (BP: Bio-based Plastic and Packaging), established in 2007, develops and markets innovative biopolymer products. The company’s mission is to promote the performance products made of annually renewable resources that are required for a sustainable society. BP Consulting develops high quality products of 100% biopolymers, or such polymers with minimum use of inorganic minerals and/or food additives, to enhance bio-based product competitiveness. BP Consulting’s cutting edge technologies have accelerated commercialization of a range of unique Ingeo products. Key products include Ingeo laminated film parts, extruded sheets, crystallized injection molded parts, foam products, and shrink films. With access to leading edge processing technologies from Japanese partners, the company manufactures products in Taiwan and other Asia Pacific countries for global markets. For more information, please visit www.bpc-tyo.com.

The partnership will conduct research on sugarcane bagasse, coconut husks, specific varieties of colored cotton, sisal and curaua fibers and agricultural waste to identify new raw material sources

Embrapa and Braskem are forming a scientific and technological cooperation agreement to identify cellulose nanofibers for industrial use from among various different vegetable sources, targeting those that offer the highest yields and best performance and are also biodegradable. The project, which will be officially launched on November 25 at the inauguration ceremony for the General Head of Embrapa Instrumentação, Luiz Henrique Capparelli Mattoso, will receive support from the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Fapesp) and the Foundation for Industrial Research and Advancement (Fipai).
With an execution period of three years and R$500,000 in funding, the project is part of the Program to Support Research in Partnership with Technological Innovation (PITE) of Fapesp, which will contribute R$252,000 in funds, while the remaining R$248,000 will be provided by Braskem. The program will provide financial support for cooperative research projects to be executed in partnership with both public and private university and research institutions in the state of São Paulo. 
The first step was taken when Braskem and Fapesp signed an agreement for scientific and technological cooperation under the scope of the PITE Program, which means that Braskem can now select an institution to conduct research on vegetal sources. The Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), through Embrapa Instrumentação, one of its units located in São Carlos, São Paulo, is the partner institution for this research and has a long history of working together with industry.
According to General Head Luiz Henrique Capparelli Mattoso, the agreement is an important opportunity to strengthen relations with industry and will pose a challenge for science to develop technologies that can effectively be adopted, based on the market's needs for new materials derived from agricultural resources.
"This integration brings important benefits for both parties, since it provides the ideal environment for the development of scientific research and applied innovation," said Edmundo Aires, Braskem’s Vice-President of Technology and Innovation.
Three researchers and five fellows from Embrapa Instrumentação will be involved in the study to develop nanofibers from bagasse, coconut husk, specific varieties of colored cotton, sisal, curaua and agricultural waste. All the materials will be classified in accordance with the various techniques adopted by Embrapa Instrumentação, which has been studying the extraction of nanofibers for years. 
Braskem
Braskem is the largest petrochemical producer in the Americas and the first company in the world to produce certified green polyethylene. Its strategy is based on competitiveness and technological autonomy in line with its commitment to foster sustainable development.
At the start of the year, Braskem also entered into a partnership with Laboratório Nacional de Biociências (LNBio), a laboratory located in Campinas, São Paulo, for the installation of a laboratory to be used by the company’s research team. In addition to its own facilities, Braskem will also have access to LNBio’s state-of-the-art equipment. The objective is to conduct research in the field of biotechnology, seeking to develop products that are sustainable and competitive economically, always using raw materials derived from renewable resources.
Braskem has the largest and most modern research complex in the Latin America, the Braskem Technology and Innovation Center, which has units at the Triunfo Complex in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, as well as in the state of São Paulo and in the United States. The Center works to develop products, processes, applications and new markets in partnership with Braskem's clients, i.e., the plastic manufacturers that form the third generation of the production chain. In this way, Braskem adds value to and increases the competitiveness of the entire petrochemicals and plastics production chain. Today Braskem produces over 15 million tons of thermoplastic resins and other petrochemical products per year.

Source: www.braskem.com.br

Cardia Bioplastics is working with Nestlé to help it reduce the environmental impact of its packaging. According to Cardia managing director, Dr Frank Glatz, the deal “presents an exciting opportunity to develop high performance packaging with lower environmental impact”.

“In addition to offering a product with beneficial environmental profile and full food-safety compliance, delivering superior packaging performance through the product life cycle is a key criterion for success,” he added.

“Our proprietary multi-layer flexible film and rigid packaging developments are important offerings in meeting demanding packaging performance requirements.”

Source: http://www.prw.com

Scientists at England's Bath University and Tel Aviv University in Israel are working on a joint project designed to improve the properties of bioplastics, allowing them to be used in a wider range of automotive products.

The effort focuses on polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable plastic that can be made from renewable plant sources such as corn, wheat or sugar. PLA is currently used in bottles, bags and films, and can be woven into fibres to make clothes in place of polyester.

The scientists at Bath and Tel Aviv are developing a new chemical catalyst to improve the process of making these plastics by making them stronger and more heat resistant so they can be used as a replacement for automotive plastic parts currently made from engineering plastics. 

"PLA can be made up of two types of building blocks that are mirror images of each other. Using the current technology, when the plastic is made with both types present they are jumbled together within the structure of the plastic," said Prof Matthew Davidson, Whorrod Professor of Sustainable Chemical Technologies at the Bath University. "This new project will develop a selective catalyst that will build up a polymer of 'left-handed' and 'right-handed' building blocks in a structured order so that we can control the physical properties of the resulting plastic."

The project is one of 10 joint British-Israeli research projects that tackle global challenges in energy and the environment that have been selected to receive funding through the Britain-Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership, BIRAX.

Source: http://www.canplastics.com

Boulder Canyon™ Natural Foods, a leading North American snack food manufacturer, has introduced a renewable, fully compostable pack for its line of All Natural Kettle Cooked Potato Chips.
The innovative packaging is gaining attention because it looks, feels and sounds the same as traditional, non-compostable bags.  The bag is the first of its kind on the market to be made from a structure that incorporates metallised NatureFlex™ NKM from Innovia Films.

Source: www.innoviafilms.com

Klöckner Pentaplast has partnered with Plantic Technologies Limited to provide Pentafood® Biofilm™ and Pentaform® Biofilm™ rigid thermoplastic starch (TPS) films for food and retail packaging. These innovative TPS films are derived from annually
renewable high-amylose starch which provides brand owners with a packaging material of nongenetically modified origins to help them meet their sustainable packaging goals. With a high renewable-resource content of 85 to 90% by weight, Pentafood® Biofilm™ and Pentaform® Biofilm™ TPS films are compostable in professionally managed facilities and certified to ASTM D6400 and EN 13432
standards (Biodegradable Products Institute in the US, Din Certco in Europe). Additional certification  by Vinçotte verifies that these films will biodegrade completely in home composting, soil burial, and water. Although available worldwide with Klöckner Pentaplast, kp is the exclusive supplier to the Americas and Europe.
Ideal for thermoformed trays, shelf-ready displays, and insert trays in secondary packaging,

Pentafood® Biofilm™ and Pentaform® Biofilm™ TPS films inherently provide excellent barrier for flavor and odor, as well as grease resistance. Pentafood® Biofilm™ and Pentaform® Biofilm™ TPS films are available in standard colors (natural, white, brown, gold, purple, and black) with a gloss/gloss surface.
Pentafood® Biofilm™ TPS films are compliant with all applicable FDA standards for direct food contact.

“Pentafood® Biofilm™ and Pentaform® Biofilm™ TPS films were developed to meet customers’ sustainable packaging goals for food and retail packaging applications,” notes Michael Ryan, Klöckner Pentaplast’s vice president of strategic marketing. “The expansion of our Biofilm™ packaging film portfolio to include these unique films, along with our existing Pentafood® and Pentaform® films,
continues to provide our customers with the broadest selection of films available in the global marketplace today.”

About the Klöckner Pentaplast Group
The Klöckner Pentaplast Group is the world’s leading producer of films for pharmaceutical,
medical device, food, electronics, and general-purpose thermoform packaging, as well as printing and
specialty applications. Founded in 1965 in Montabaur, Germany, Klöckner Pentaplast has grown from
its initial facility to 19 current production operations in 11 countries.

Source: www.kpfilms.com

At K 2010, in Hall 6, Stand D42, SABIC Innovative Plastics is reaffirming its commitment to the environment with two new announcements:  the expansion of its already extensive Sustainability Solutions Portfolio comprised of more than 20 sustainability solution families and hundreds of product grades such as new Noryl*, Cycoloy* and Lexan* EXL resins containing post-consumer recycled (PCR) content; and the introduction of a rigorous new validation process for sustainable materials and applications. The new process includes a Sustainable Product Scorecard, developed in partnership with respected, third-party environmental sustainability consulting firm, GreenOrder. Both announcements illustrate SABIC Innovative Plastics’ commitment to addressing its customers’ diverse environmental needs. This includes the company’s ongoing investments in materials, technologies and processes that help customers worldwide lower their carbon and energy footprints, eliminate waste, and ensure strict compliance with global environmental regulations.

“As an innovator in the development of sustainable technologies, SABIC Innovative Plastics is committed to creating and providing a steady supply of environmentally responsible materials,” said Tom Stanley, vice president, Technology, SABIC Innovative Plastics. “We’ve strengthened our portfolio to help customers across all industries meet demands for ever-greener products that comply with worldwide environmental expectations, and we’ve implemented a standards-based process for verifying our sustainability claims. This is an ongoing initiative that will continuously deliver new materials, process and application technologies that provide outstanding performance, as well as reduced impact on the planet.”

Broad and Deep Offering for Sustainable Design and Production

SABIC Innovative Plastics’ new PCR resins are just the latest additions to its broad array of sustainability solutions. Materials in the portfolio also include longstanding environmental successes such as Noryl GTX* resin for tough automotive exteriors and Valox iQ* and Xenoy iQ* resins based on up-cycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Further, the company provides many other specialty resins and services that are not explicitly part of the Sustainability Solutions Portfolio, but can help customers design and manufacture products with a reduced ecological impact. Examples include materials for energy-efficient lighting (light emitting diodes (LEDs) and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)), thin-wall designs to reduce resource consumption, computer-aided design (CAD) optimization for more-productive use of materials, coating reduction and paint elimination to avoid volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, and improved molding process efficiency to reduce energy usage.

Sustainability Solutions Portfolio Targets Top Environmental Issues

The SABIC Innovative Plastics Sustainability Solutions portfolio is comprised of materials that address today’s most important environmental initiatives:

1. Post-consumer recycled content:  SABIC Innovative Plastics has received high praise for its Valox iQ and Xenoy iQ resins, including the 2009 Responsible Care award from Cefic and the 2007 environmental award from the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE). These materials, containing up to 60 percent post-consumer content derived from  discarded PET bottles, consume less energy and yield less carbon dioxide (CO2 ) than traditional polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) or polyamide (PA) 6 throughout the entire manufacturing process – from cradle (discarded PET bottles) to gate (resin pellets). The company recently launched Lexan EXL PCR resins for consumer electronics applications, which reduce energy and emissions by up to 60 percent compared to conventional Lexan EXL resins.
2. Automotive weight-out:  SABIC Innovative Plastics has led the industry for many years with lightweight materials that reduce fuel consumption and emissions while delivering high performance and improved design flexibility. Collectively, automotive body panels molded from Noryl GTX resin; Lexan polycarbonate (PC) glazing; Xenoy iQ resin in pedestrian protection systems; SABIC® Stamax® long glass-filled polypropylene (LGFPP) for front-end module assemblies; and Flexible Noryl resin for ultra-thin-wall wire coating may reduce the weight of a typical car by more than 24 kg. This average weight savings results in a carbon emissions reduction of approximately 20 to 45 percent during the entire life cycle of a car compared to incumbent technologies. For example, for a typical car, this weight reduction could lower CO2 emissions per kilometer traveled by approximately 2.4 g. Successful adaptation of these lightweight technologies to a European fleet of approximately 210 million vehicles could potentially avoid 9.7 million tons of CO2 emissions per year.
3. Advanced flame retardance (FR):  SABIC Innovative Plastics is continuing to expand its array of non-halogenated FR plastics to keep pace with evolving environmental regulations and voluntary eco labels that are important to customers. For example, the company’s new halogen-free FR Lexan PC resin series combines transparency and all the benefits of an FR PC with chemically halogen-free formulation.
4. Energy efficiency:  Energy efficiency is an important focus for SABIC Innovative Plastics. For example, its Specialty Film and Sheet business provides high-performance glazing and roofing materials for the building and construction industry that can reduce energy usage. Thermoclear* Solar Control infrared (IR) multiwall sheet products, which combine highly insulating multiwall construction with a proprietary IR coating, have been shown to reduce indoor cooling and heating energy requirements by 7 to 25 percent compared with double-pane glass windows and skylights, depending on multiwall thicknesses between 16 mm and 25 mm.

Sustainable Product Scorecard Validates Claims

Products and applications in SABIC Innovative Plastics’ expanded Sustainability Solutions Portfolio have been strictly validated in two potential ways:  either they meet one or more widely recognized third-party sustainability standards or their environmental benefits relative to incumbent technologies have been verified using the company’s new Sustainable Product Scorecard. For a significant number of products in the portfolio, third-party standards exist defining sustainability features, such as halogen-free FR or PCR content. For a number of other solutions, such as automotive lightweight design or footprint reductions, there are no widely recognized industry or third-party standards defining sustainability. For these solutions, it is necessary to verify the environmental benefits over incumbent alternatives using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methods for estimating the environmental footprint of products and processes. SABIC Innovative Plastics incorporated these LCA methods into its new Sustainable Product Scorecard to ensure that the verification process is done in a rigorous and credible way.

The scorecard process has already verified the environmental benefits of seven sustainability solution families, with more in the pipeline. This portfolio validation process enables customers to confidently choose high-performance materials that advance their environmental and business goals. SABIC Innovative Plastics plans to further expand its list of verified materials and sustainability portfolio through the end of 2010 and into the future to further support customers’ environmental objectives.

The Sustainable Product Scorecard measures, validates and communicates environmental benefits compared with conventional or alternative materials. The scorecard has two components:

1. Life Cycle Assessment:  LCA and Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) methodologies, based on the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards, are used to build the first component of the scorecard. Carbon and energy footprints1 of products or applications are estimated through the product’s life cycle.
2. Green Chemistry Screen (GCS):  This tool assesses the chemical composition of the product, including known impurities, byproducts and catalysts, against well-established toxicological, regulatory and standard-specific criteria.

The results of the scorecard are used to develop environmental benefit claims that are subjected to a rigorous, independent review by GreenOrder. These validated claims, summarized in an Environmental Product Data Sheet (EPDS), allow customers to differentiate their products and showcase their sustainability initiatives.

“We commend SABIC Innovative Plastics for its proactive efforts to provide new alternatives to traditional materials across the spectrum of sustainability,” said Truman Semans, principal at GreenOrder, an LRN Company. “The key to this initiative is the verification of environmental benefits using established standards and rigorous validation and testing processes. Our work in independently evaluating SABIC Innovative Plastics’ materials helps ensure that they fulfill their eco claims and deliver proven, measurable value to customers.”

For additional information on SABIC Innovative Plastics’ Sustainability Solutions portfolio, please go to www.sabic-ip.com. For technical product inquiries, please contact us at www.sabic-ip.com/prtechinquiry.

SABIC is Exhibiting at K 2010 in Düsseldorf, Germany in Hall 6, Stand D42

For K 2010, SABIC’s focus is A Culture of Innovation, which means investing in Growth, Technology, Sustainability and Customer Focus. We help our customers to innovate, differentiate their applications and optimize costs by:

• Investing in global expansion;
• Providing the broadest product portfolio that delivers better performance and adds value;
• Developing environmentally responsible products and solutions that provide significant and measurable performance advantages; and
• Working closely with our customers to build long-term, lasting relationships.

About SABIC Innovative Plastics

SABIC Innovative Plastics is a leading, global supplier of engineering thermoplastics with a 75-year history of breakthrough solutions that solve its customers’ most pressing challenges. Today, SABIC Innovative Plastics is a multi-billion-dollar company with operations in more than 35 countries and approximately 9,000 employees worldwide. The company continues to lead the plastics industry with customer collaboration and continued investments in new polymer technologies, global application development, process technologies, and environmentally responsible solutions that serve diverse markets such as automotive, electronics, building & construction, transportation, and healthcare. The company’s extensive product portfolio includes thermoplastic resins, coatings, specialty compounds, film, and sheet. SABIC Innovative Plastics (www.sabic-ip.com) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), one of the world’s top six petrochemicals manufacturers.

Braskem, the largest thermoplastic resin producer in the Americas and a company committed to bringing to market products and solutions with high technical performance that are aligned with the principles of the low-carbon economy, announces the conclusion of the conceptual phase of the project to build a green propylene plant.
In 2011, work will be concluded on the basic engineering studies and, once final approval is obtained, the project's installation will begin, with operational startup expected in the second half of 2013. The plant should require investment of around US$100 million and have minimum green propylene production capacity of 30 kt/year.
To produce green polypropylene, Braskem will adopt technology that has already been proven on an industrial scale and use as an input sugarcane ethanol, which is recognized as the world's best renewable energy source. The green polypropylene will have the same technical, processability and performance properties as polypropylene made using traditional production routes.
The preliminary eco-efficiency study has shown very favorable results, given the benefits from the environmental advantages of green ethylene. The study was conducted in partnership with Fundação Espaço Eco and was based on conceptual engineering data. Each ton of green polypropylene produced captures and sequesters 2.3 t of CO2.
Braskem considers this plant part of its strategy to develop biopolymers and is committed to expanding its portfolio and production capacity, enabling the growth and adoption of green plastic by a growing number of clients and applications, thereby increasing the product's benefits for the environment.
Braskem has been working with green polypropylene for a long time. In 2008, during BioJapan, the company announced the production of the first green polypropylene sample made 100% from renewable resources, which was verified in accordance with ASTM D6866. Braskem also has research projects to develop a new production route for green polypropylene, including the partnerships announced with Novozymes in 2009, as well as with UNICAMP and LNBio
Polypropylene is the second most used plastic in the world and features unique properties among all polymers, such as excellent balance of physical properties, possibility of high transparency and high resistance to impacts at low temperatures, high performance in production processes, stability of properties over the long term, low density (which allows for lighter parts) and high versatility in terms of applications.

The clingfilm which can also be used for foodstuffs with a high fatty acid content and with acidic foods, is easy to tear off and contains renewable resources of agricultural origin.

Novamont continues the development with its Second Generation Mater-Bi® products: at the K fair (the international trade fair for plastics and rubber), taking place in Düsseldorf from 27 October to 3 November 2010, Novamont will be unveiling its first industrial clingfilm that is biodegradable and compostable and contains renewable resources.
The stretchy clingfilm can be used for any kind of foodstuffs, even food that has a high fat content (oils, sauces, butter, etc.) or that is acidic. After use it can be disposed of as organic waste as the material has been certified as compostable in accordance with standard EN13432 and is compatible with various kinds of composting plant technology.
The product was developed by Novamont together with its partners and has the same technical characteristics of strength and stretch as traditional products developed for domestic use without using any plasticisers or additives that could transfer into food. The development took quite a long time, as the technical profile of such products is complex, taking into consideration various benchmarks which had to be achieved. First of all, of course, the optical appearance and transparency, which has to be similar to the one offered by the conventionally used materials.
Novamont’s cling film is specially formulated to be easy to tear off without needing a serrated cutting edge, making it safer and more convenient. An intrinsic characteristic of the material is its high permeability to water vapour, helping to evaporate the condensation that forms particularly with warm food or in the fridge. This makes it ideal for preserving and protecting foodstuffs.
Another important aspect of this product is the balanced mechanical properties at very low gauge, as such films are mainly used in the gauge of 10 to 12 µ, with extremely high puncture resistance and excellent elongation values.
Moreover the product has a perfectly tuned water vapour transmission rate (WVTR) which is offering many products to be longer kept fresh in the fridge.
Mater-Bi® is the main product developed by Novamont. While providing the same strength and performance as traditional plastics, it is made of renewable resources of agricultural origin. It reduces greenhouse gas emissions and the consumption of energy and non-renewable resources, thus completing a virtuous circle: the raw materials of agricultural origin return to the earth through processes of biodegradation and composting, without releasing pollutants.

Source: www.novamont.com

in a first-of-its kind application for the yogurt product category, Clear Lam Packaging, Inc. has developed the industry’s first plant-based plastic for the form, fill and seal machine (Arcil).  The new packaging material replaces the traditional petroleum-based polystyrene plastic (PS #6) used for the Stonyfield Farm yogurt multipacks and uses 93 percent renewable resources, primarily plant-based Ingeo™ PLA (polylactic acid).  Developed exclusively by Clear Lam as part of its Project EarthClear™ program, the new packaging is being used for every Stonyfield Farm multipack yogurt cup, including YoBaby, YoToddler and YoKids, as well as B-Healthy, B-Well, Probiotic and O’Soy.

"StonyfieldFarm has invested significantly in finding innovative new packaging alternatives that reduce our dependency on oil and other finite resources, and we’re thrilled that Clear Lam was able to offer an industry-leading packaging solution to help support their sustainable packaging initiatives," said James Sanfilippo, President and CEO of Clear Lam Packaging, Inc.

According to a study conducted by the Boston-based Tellus Institute, over 95 percent of the environmental cost of packaging is in the production of the package, including the energy used and toxins created in the manufacturing process.

When compared to traditional petroleum-based packaging, the renewable raw materials are produced with as little as half the energy (1) and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 48 percent in the manufacturing process. (2)

Produced on yogurt cup packaging equipment by Stonyfield, the formed cups are stronger than those made from the polystyrene plastic the plant-based materials replaces, providing better impact resistance. 

The materials are made mostly from Ingeo™ PLA produced by NatureWorks LLC.  Stonyfield uses an offset program to produce a sustainably grown amount of corn equal to the amount used for the cups.  Each cup features a "Made from Plants" stamp on the bottom.

For the past seven years, Clear Lam has invested heavily in research and development to commercialize new packaging technologies that minimize the impact on the environment.  These efforts include three product lines developed for Clear Lam’s Project EarthClear™ program: packaging made from Renewable Raw Materials, packaging made from Recycled Content and Lightweighting Materials.  Clear Lam is one of the world’s largest extruders and thermoformers of plant-based Ingeo™ PLA.

1, 2  Peer Review Original Research:  Vink, Kolstad,and Davies, "The Eco-Profile for Current Ingeo Polylactide Production", Industrial Biotechnology, Vol. 6, No. 4, August 2010, pp 212-224

Ingeo™ is a registered trademark of NatureWorks LLC
EarthClear™ is a trademark of Clear Lam Packaging, Inc.

Source: http://www.clearlam.com/

Cardia Bioplastics has received European and USA food contact certification for injection moulded products made from its Cardia Biohybrid™ materials. This follows the food contact approval received for its multilayer flexible film products in 2009.

Cardia Biohybrid^TM food contact rigid packaging products are certified compliant to Europe's Regulation (EC) 1935/2004 and USA's FDA CFR 21 for materials and articles intended to come into contact with food.

The breakthrough significantly expands Cardia Bioplastics market opportunities in food packaging applications. Cardia Bioplastics customers can now offer every day food packaging items, such as containers, closures, tubes, tubs and bottles, using Cardia Biohybrid^TM technology.

Cardia already has rigid food packaging products development agreements with several companies and is awaiting commercial outcomes. Cardia Bioplastics Managing Director Dr Frank Glatz said achieving European and USA food contact certification for injection moulded products is an important milestone for Cardia Bioplastics.

"Our ability to offer both rigid and flexible film packaging products, with high performance, strong environmental profile, food contact compliance and cost effectiveness, makes Cardia Biohybrid^TM technology a compelling package for the global food industry," said Frank Glatz.

Reduce oil consumption and carbon footprint

Cardia Biohybrid^TM proprietary technology combines renewable thermoplastics with polyolefin material to reduce dependence on finite oil resources and to reduce carbon footprint. Cardia Bioplastics is expanding its extensive patent portfolio with new lodgements to protect this innovative technology.

"This development enables customers to move confidently into more sustainable packaging solutions. Cardia Biohybrid^TM injection moulded products and multilayer films offer food marketers packaging solutions with a real competitive edge for their products," said Frank Glatz.

"Cardia Bioplastics now has technologies covering the packaging market comprehensively. The range starts with commodity packaging and extends to the high end food packaging industry. Our sustainable packaging applications now include flexible film, injection moulding, blow moulding, foam, and extrusion and coating applications.

"We also offer customers the choice of Cardia Bioplastics internationally certified Compostable technology for their packaging or plastic products," he said.

Source: http://www.cardiabioplastics.com

Cardia Bioplastics now seeks international commercial partner to advance world first technology

Melbourne packaging technology company Cardia Bioplastics Limited (ASX: CNN) has developed a world first biodegradable plastic bag created from a blend of CO2
(carbon dioxide) emissions and starch.

Chairman Pat Volpe said the company has successfully completed a first production run of the revolutionary carrier bags, known as CO2S^TM - or, carbon dioxide plus a starch based renewable resource.

"This is the first time CO2 emissions have been transformed in this way, and the development has the potential to revolutionise the production of bioplastics around the globe," he said.

Pollutant CO2 emissions are captured prior to being released into the atmosphere.
This pollutant is then transformed into a polypropylene carbonate (PPC) polymer and blended with a renewable resource (starch), using the company's new technology, to produce the Cardia Bioplastics CO2S^TM resin. This product is then used to produce a completely biodegradable carrier bag.

Pat Volpe said this revolutionary development promises to offer packaging alternatives globally, with the company now in discussion with several parties interested in the technology.

"Our new patent pending blending technology used to manufacture CO2S^TM compostable product will complement the existing Cardia Bioplastics portfolio." Pat Volpe said.

"We are delighted to be at the cutting edge of green technology by developing a new generation of bioplastics films for carrier bags and other products that is able to transform a problematic waste pollutant into an environmentally friendly alternative product," he said.

Cardia Bioplastics now plans to perfect the new CO2S^TM technology by increasing the PPC content and the renewable resource component so that up to 60% less virgin oil will be used, when compared to currently marketed biodegradable oil based products.

Cardia Bioplastics will also aim to achieve international compostability accreditation standards for CO2S^TM. Pat Volpe said manufacturing can easily be scaled up to meet commercial volumes with the aim to provide CO2S^TM bags at prices below current compostable carrier bags.

"We are now ready to commercialise this innovative technology and are searching for a suitable international partner with oil or gas wells, or refineries producing CO2 emissions. We are getting close in our negotiations and the market will be informed when current discussions materialise into a support agreement," he said.

Source: http://www.cardiabioplastics.com