ResearchInChina Publishes New Report on the Global and Chinese Biodegradable Plastics Industry

A new report titled, "Global and China Biodegradable Plastics Industry Report, 2010" has been published by ResearchInChina.

According to the report, starch-based plastic, PLA and PHA, accounting for 90% of the global consumption of biodegradable plastics in 2009, saw their capacity grow rapidly from 306,000 tons in 2007 to 695,000 tons in 2009, with an annual compound growth rate of 50.7%. However, biodegradable plastics only accounted for less than 1% of the global demand for plastics in 2009. Considering the unstoppable trend of biodegradable plastics replacing traditional plastics, the biodegradable plastics industry has huge market potential.

Following the global trend, China's biodegradable plastics industry has developed rapidly. The biodegradable plastics capacity reached 80,000 tons in 2007, and soared to 150,000 tons in 2009, almost 100% more than that in 2007. However, in 2009, China's domestic consumption of bio-plastics was less than 8,000 tons, and over 95% of China's bio-plastic materials and products were exported to Europe, America and other developed countries, because people there have a strong awareness of environmental protection and are rich enough to accept expensive biodegradable plastics.

NatureWorks of USA is the world's largest PLA bioplastic manufacturer. Novamont of Italy is the largest bio-plastic manufacturer in Europe. Mitsubishi Plastics of Japan has become a leader in the development of PLA packaging materials in the world. BASF of Germany is one of the manufacturers that launched biodegradable plastics 10 years ago.

Zhejiang Hisun Biomaterials Co., Ltd. ranks third in terms of PLA industrial capacity in the world with the annual output of 5,000 tons.

Guangzhou Kingfa Science and Technology Co., Ltd. is the largest manufacturer of modified plastics in China, it started a biodegradable plastics project in 2009, and plans to build a 20,000-ton biodegradable plastics production line in the next two years.

Wuhan Huali Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. has become a leading enterprise in China's biodegradable industry with the annual output of 40,000 tons.

Anqing Hexing Chemical Co., Ltd. is China's first large-scale PBS enterprise, with the annual capacity of 10,000 tons. Zhejiang Hangzhou Xinfu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. has built up the world's largest continuous and closed PBS production line with an annual capacity of 20,000 tons.

Ningbo Tianan Biologic Material Co. Ltd. is the world's only enterprise that has achieved PHBV industrialization.

Borealis' High-flow PP-based Compound Offers Peugeot's 206+ Front Grill a Paint-free Metallic Look

An innovative polypropylene-based compound from Borealis has enabled French car maker PSA to breathe new life into its best-selling hatchback, the 206.

Launched in 2009, the Peugeot 206+ is the restyled outcome of its famous '206' model. In addition to several modifications to the interior and exterior applications, PSA Design modified in a unique and innovative way the front grill. While seeking to achieve a high quality metallic effect, PSA opted for a plastic in-mass solution which could deliver the same high-quality result as painting the grill. 

PSA selected Borealis' Daplen™ EH104E-0515, a grade developed specifically for automobile exteriors. Daplen EH104E-0515 contains a special pigment which provides the same effect the car maker was looking for without the painting process.

"The use of an in-mass metallic color for aesthetical parts requires a high-flow material in order to reduce the weld lines to a minimum," explains Thomas Rothmayer, Senior Application Development Engineer of Borealis' Mobility Business Unit. "Daplen EH104AE is the perfect solution. Its excellent flowability reduces the number of injection points while maintaining a low pressure level."

Daplen EH104E-0515 is a 10% mineral filled compound with a melt flow rate (MFR, 2.16 kg) of 40 g/10 min. This enables filling of challenging parts, even at relatively low injection pressures. Inclusion of UV stabilizers makes it highly suitable for outdoor unpainted applications. In the future, this grade color will be used as a reference by Peugeot.

"The main challenge for injection molded grills is hiding the weld lines, a common problem of in-mass color solutions," underlines Claude Nicot, Project Manager at PSA. "In this instance, the flowability of material is a real advantage. The reaction time and assistance of Borealis was invaluable as it enabled us to complete this project in short order and we are very satisfied with the result." 

"Painting adds considerable cost to the overall production process," says Harald Hammer, Borealis Vice President for the Mobility Business Unit. "In addition, producing parts with the final surface effect already built in is more environmentally friendly than painting, despite all the advances in low-solvent paint systems. This project with PSA is just another example of our capability to develop innovative solutions in close collaboration with the Tier 1 supplier, in this case Plastic Omnium, and PSA as the OEM. I believe the effect achieved with the new compound is superb and specifically fulfils the customer needs." 

Innovative PLA Formulation that Lets You Walk on Nature Compatible Floorings

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-based flooring materials contain toxic phthalate plasticizers harmful for the environment. As an eco-friendly alternative to floorings based on halogenated polymers, Michigan State University researchers have prepared renewably resourced biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) polymers, by reactive extruding PLA blends, citrate plasticizer (blend of citrate and derived vegetable oil) and a compatibilizer.


This formulation has not only significantly enhanced the impact strength and elongation of polylactide, it can also be compounded with fillers (e.g. CaCO₃) and cellulosic materials (e.g. wood flour), thus making it an ideal replacement for halogenated flooring materials. PLA polymer material can be used as decorative and protective coverings on floor and walls; automotive, truck, and recreational vehicle components; reusable material-handling containers; shelving; agricultural and industrial bins and conveyors; trash and recycling receptacles; furniture and fixtures, and much more.

Research at Fraunhofer Institute Enables Impregnating Plastics with Compressed Carbon Dioxide

Everyone has heard that carbon dioxide is responsible for global warming. But the gas also has some positive characteristics. Researchers are now impregnating plastics with compressed CO₂ in a process that could lead to new applications ranging from colored contact lenses to bacteria-resistant door handles.

CO₂ is more than just a waste product. In fact, it has a variety of uses: the chemical industry makes use of this colorless gas to produce urea, methanol and salicylic acid. Urea is a fertilizer, methanol is a fuel additive, and salicylic acid is an ingredient in aspirin.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT in Oberhausen are pursuing a new idea by testing how carbon dioxide can be used to impregnate plastics. At a temperature of 30.1 degrees Celsius and a pressure of 73.8 bar, CO₂ goes into a supercritical state that gives the gas solvent-like properties. In this state, it can be introduced into polymers, or act as a "carrier" in which dyes, additives, medical compounds and other substances can be dissolved. "We pump liquid carbon dioxide into a high-pressure container with the plastic components that are to be impregnated, then steadily increase the temperature and the pressure until the gas reaches the supercritical state. When that state is reached, we increase the pressure further. At 170 bar, pigment in powder form dissolves completely in the CO₂ and then diffuses with the gas into the plastic. The whole process only takes a few minutes. When the container is opened, the gas escapes through the surface of the polymer but the pigment stays behind and cannot subsequently be wiped off," explains Dipl.-Ing. Manfred Renner, a scientist at Fraunhofer UMSICHT.

In tests, the researchers have even managed to impregnate polycarbonate with nanoparticles that give it antibacterial properties. E-coli bacteria, placed on the plastic's surface in the institute's own high-pressure laboratory, were killed off completely - a useful function that could be applied to door handles impregnated with the same nanoparticles. Tests conducted with silica and with the anti-inflammatory active pharmaceutical ingredient flurbiprofen were also successful. "Our process is suitable for impregnating partially crystalline and amorphous polymers such as nylon, TPE, TPU, PP and polycarbonate," states Renner, "but it cannot be applied to crystalline polymers."

The process holds enormous potential, as carbon dioxide is non-flammable, non-toxic and inexpensive. Whilst it shows solvent-like properties, it does not have the same harmful effects on health and on the environment as the solvents that are used in paints, for example. Painted surfaces are also easily damaged and are not scratch-resistant. Conventional processes for impregnating plastics and giving them new functions have numerous drawbacks. Injection molding, for instance, does not permit the introduction of heat-sensitive substances such as fire retardants or UV stabilizers. Many dyes change color; purple turns black.

"Our method allows us to customize high-value plastic components and lifestyle products such as mobile phone shells. The best about it is that the color, additive or active ingredient is introduced into layers near the surface at temperatures far below the material's melting point, in an environmentally friendly manner that does away with the need for aggressive solvents," says Renner. The process could, for example, be used to dye contact lenses - and lenses could even be enriched with pharmaceutical compounds that would then be slowly released to the eye throughout the day, representing an alternative to repeated applications of eye drops for the treatment of glaucoma. According to the scientist, this new impregnation method is suitable for a broad range of new applications.

Nanoscience Instruments Announces Worldwide Distribution of Easy-to-Use CNT System

Nanoscience Instruments announces worldwide distribution of a new benchtop carbon nanotube synthesis device. The Nanotech Innovations SSP-354 is a low-cost system for producing high-quality, multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The device uses an injection CVD process developed at NASA and is integrated into an instrument small enough to fit in a fume hood. The system can produce research-quality, multi-wall carbon nanotubes within a few hours.

The SSP-354 CNT system was designed with both affordability and ease of use in mind. The user injects Nanotech Innovations' organometallic precursor solution into a two-zone furnace where iron catalyst particles are formed. Once growth is catalyzed, the nanotubes form on the surface of a quartz process tube, which is later removed to collect the material. The nanotubes average 50 nm in diameter and can be anywhere from several micrometers to a few hundred micrometers in length, depending on operating parameters.

Because the innovative design eliminates many of the steps normally required in producing CNTs, the system is ideal for educational environments where students may be trained to both produce and characterize carbon nanotubes. "The SSP-354 CNT system is a great complement to our easy to use AFMs (Atomic Force Microscopes)" says Mark Flowers, director at Nanoscience Instruments. "We can now provide simple and cost-effective nanomaterial fabrication along with our line of characterization tools."

Lite-On Mobile Develops Technique for Removal of Split Lines from Plastic Part Surfaces

Plastic is a great material for many purposes. Lite-On Mobile has a wealth of experience in the field, enabling it to offer products that can justifiably be called high-class. Surfaces can be made look and feel totally different to what we are used to when holding a plastic object - ceramic, velvet, shiny, color-changing and, even to the eye of an expert, totally seamless products.

Those are the kind of qualities that give plastic products a high-class look - they are exclusive and expensive looking, but still at an affordable price. And that doesn't go for just mobile phone covers, but for almost anything you can think of.
Kimmo Turunen, Senior Manager from LOM Plastics Innovations explains that Lite-On Mobile has developed a fast and cost-efficient way to remove tooling split lines from the visual surfaces of plastic parts.

* Split line removal is a technique by which the seams in plastic parts are polished away before painting. Plastic parts may sometimes have features like recesses and negative draft areas requiring the mould to be cut into several pieces, and that results in a small witness line on the plastic part. Split line removal is one way of supporting, for example, the seamless phone concept that is so popular today, explains Kimmo Turunen.

Split line removal can be done manually, which is slow and not cost effective. Lite-On Mobile's machinery has been developed both for single part and multi-part flow. Split-line removal can be done for ABS+PC and PC visual parts that are to be painted.

CNC milling is a next generation technology which provides high accuracy and a quality look inexpensively. Material removal is sometimes a necessary production step for a variety of purposes: holes for buttons, camera lenses, screws, etc. With some techniques, the desired forms are difficult or impossible to create in the moulding process, but using CNC milling you can achieve that and even take the design to the next level.

Just about any material can be used, and there are virtually no restrictions on mechanical design. It is possible to achieve sharp hole edges in painted parts, and minimize visible split lines in hole-areas.

These are just some examples of our capabilities in the area of high-class plastics. We listen and discover constantly what the expectations from the world and the customers are. New ideas emerge, more is to come!

Styron Launches Specialized PC, PC/ABS Solutions to Meet the Latest Trends in TV Designs

As a result of the trend towards thinner, trendier TVs, molders and OEMs are faced with an increased demand for thinner TV enclosures with better aesthetics at lower cost. Styron LLC announced the commercial availability of three innovative compounds in Europe that can help molders and OEMs meet these challenges.

XZ 92696.00: high flow PC/ABS compound for applications with high heat requirements

High heat resistant products for TV enclosures traditionally came with compromises in terms of flow, making them less suitable for molders wanting to produce the thin TV housings demanded by today's consumers. With XZ 92696.00, Styron has developed an innovative solution that overcomes the classic compromise between heat and flow.

The innovative PC/ABS compound has a market-leading HDT (Heat Distortion Temperature) value of 94°C at 1.82 MPa, making it an ideal solution for thinner TVs with high heat requirements such as Matrix-lit LED TVs. In addition to this high HDT value, XZ 92696.00 offers a high flow with good mechanical properties. This unique combination makes XZ 92696.00 an excellent choice for molders and OEMs wanting to create thinner TV enclosures for some of the most innovative TV applications.

XZ 92696.00 is UL listed according to UL94 V1 at 1.5mm.

XZ 92699.01: high flow compound based on PC/ABS for thinner TV back covers

The trend towards thinner TVs has also led to new challenges for molders and OEMs, such as the need for high flow products to create thinner back covers for televisions. XZ 92699.01 from Styron is an innovative compound based on PC/ABS with a spiral flow value comparable to that of ignition-resistant polystyrene. Styron's innovative compound combines high flow with high stiffness, making it a great option for molders wanting to produce thinner TV back covers.

Styron's innovative XZ 92699.01 compound offers molders new opportunities to create more cost efficient TV back covers compared to traditional PC/ABS compounds because:

1. It was specifically developed to be more cost competitive than traditional PC/ABS compounds.
2. Its high flow allows the compound to be injected at lower temperatures of 245°C instead of 260°C, leading to shorter cycle times and increased efficiency.
3. As molders can inject XZ 92699.01 at lower temperatures, they could save on energy consumption during the molding process.

In an addition to processing advantages, Styron's new compound also provides molders and OEMs with the additional design freedom needed to create thinner TVs with fashionable designs. XZ 92699.01 allows molders to better replicate the embossing of molds on TV back covers, allowing additional design options and increased aesthetics for TV back covers.

XZ 92699.01 is UL listed according to UL94 V0 at 2mm for black formulations.

XZ 94291.01: high flow, high transparency PC compound for thinner TV front covers

Consumer demand for trendier TVs means that molders and OEMs need additional design freedom and increased aesthetics for TV front covers. Styron has introduced an innovative transparent PC compound with high flow that allows molders to fill thinner TV front covers to help address this need. Using XZ 94291.01 results in fewer weld lines, making it particularly suitable for the 'back-paint' process, where paint is applied to the back of a PC front cover.

"The trend for thinner, trendier TVs brings new requirements for TV enclosures, and we believe Styron's renewed product portfolio is perfectly adapted to meet those requirements," says Tsuyoshi Okii, Global Market Manager Consumer Electronics at Styron. "Our products allow molders to produce thinner TV housings at a lower cost while offering additional design freedom and increased aesthetics."