Rhodia and Avantium to jointly develop biobased polyamides
Paris, France and Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Rhodia, member of the Solvay Group, and Avantium announced today that they have entered into a partnership to jointly develop a range of new bio-based polyamides targeting a variety of applications.
"This collaboration perfectly fits with our strategy to deliver new sustainable products to our markets, and will combine our know-how in polyamides with Avantium's YXY technology to produce building blocks for green materials. This open innovation partnership is inspiring for our teams and we are confident that it will deliver breakthrough in the development of bio-based competitive polyamides", explained Louis Neltner, R&D Vice-President at Rhodia.
Tom van Aken, CEO of Avantium, about the new collaboration: "Rhodia is a world leading player in the development, manufacturing and supply of polyamides. We are very pleased to work with Rhodia on developing performing, sustainable and competitive solutions for a broad range of customers. Together with our existing partnerships in polyamides, we are now completely covering all application areas for polyamides on basis of our green building blocks."
* YXY (pronounced icksy) is Avantium's brand name of a family of green building blocks for making materials and fuels that can compete on both price and performance with oil based alternatives, and which have a superior environmental footprint. Based on Avantium's patented catalytic technology to convert biomass into furanic building blocks, YXY can be implemented in existing chemical production assets.
About Rhodia
Rhodia, member of the Solvay group, is a specialty chemical company resolutely committed to sustainable development. As a leader in its businesses, the Group aims to improve its customers' performance through the pursuit of operational excellence and its ability to innovate. Structured around 11 Global Business Units, Rhodia is the partner of major players in the automotive, electronics, flavors and fragrances, health, personal and home care markets, consumer goods and industrial markets. Rhodia employs around 14 000 people worldwide and generated sales of €5.23 billion in 2010.
For more information, please contact: Lamia Ahmadaly- Narcisse at + 33 (0)1 53 56 59 62 or visit our institutional website at http://www.rhodia.com
About Avantium
Avantium is a leading technology company specialized in the area of advanced catalysis R&D and process development. The company develops and commercializes YXY - its brand name for chemical building blocks for making green materials and fuels with exceptional product properties at a competitive price. Combined with a significantly reduced carbon footprint, the YXY technology fulfils all key criteria to deliver the next generation bio-based materials. In 2011 Avantium opened the YXY pilot plant, an essential step towards commercial production of the YXY technology. Avantium has demonstrated the value and commercial potential of its unique technology by collaborating with leading companies in the energy and chemical industries. It has a proven track record in offering fast and efficient chemical catalytic development services and systems to market leaders such as BP, Shell and Sasol. Avantium offices and headquarters are based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Source: http://www.avantium.com/
Film coatings made from whey
From pre-packed Camembert to shrink-wrapped meat loaf – choosing the right packaging is a key issue in the food industry. Companies need to protect food products from oxygen, moisture and chemical and biological contamination while keeping them fresh for as long as possible. Transparent multilayer films, in which each layer offers specific benefits, are frequently used to protect food from contamination. To minimize the amount of oxygen that penetrates the packaging, companies typically use expensive, petrochemical-based polymers such as ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymers as barrier materials. The German Society for Packaging Market Research (Gesellschaft für Verpackungsmarktforschung mbH) estimates that more than 640 square kilometers of composite materials employing EVOH as an oxygen barrier layer will be produced and used in Germany in 2014 – enough to completely cover Lake Constance. There is therefore a strong impetus to develop a sustainable packaging material which is both economical to produce and environmentally friendly. Researchers working on the EU's "Wheylayer" project have been using whey protein instead of petrochemical-based polymers. The natural ingredients in the whey extend the shelf life of food products, and the whey protein layer is biodegradable. The results of the research are promising. "We've managed to develop a whey protein formulation that can be used as the raw material for a film barrier layer. And we have also developed an economically viable process which can be used to produce the multifunctional films on an industrial scale," says Markus Schmid from the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV in Freising.
But how is it even possible to make a barrier layer from whey? The researchers from the IVV began by purifying sweet whey and sour whey and producing high purity whey protein isolates. They tested a range of different modification methods in order to obtain suitable proteins with outstanding film-forming properties. To enable these proteins to withstand the mechanical loads involved, they were subsequently mixed with differing concentrations of various softeners and other additives, which were also biobased. "All these additives are approved substances," says Schmid. The search for the perfect formula was a tricky process for the Freising-based researchers. For example, use too many softeners and the barrier effect against water vapor and oxygen decreases, which means that the food is no longer adequately protected. In the end, the researchers not only found the optimum formula, but also came up with a suitable, economically viable and industrial-scale method of applying whey protein coatings to plastic films and combining these with other films using different technologies. The overall process produces multilayer structures with barrier functions which can be used to produce flexible, transparent food packaging materials. "Our work at the IVV to manufacture a multilayer film of this kind using a roll-to-roll method is a world's first," Schmid notes. Companies that choose to make the switch to whey proteins in the future will only need to make minor modifications to their plants. The researchers have already applied for a patent on their new technology.
The IVV researchers are so convinced of whey proteins' future potential as an alternative packaging material that they have initiated their own project which goes one step further. According to a survey carried out by the German Society for Packaging Market Research, there is not only an increasing demand for composite films, but also an increasing need for thermoformable composites. Growing demand for prepared products in trays is expected to increase the volume of these composites from 76,497 tons in 2009 to 93,158 tons in 2014. The researchers are working hard to replace EVOH in thermoform composites with a barrier layer based on whey protein. This additional application for whey protein would likewise conserve resources and reduce the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Source: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
via: www.k-online.de
Cardia Bioplastics and Polyden Folien cooperate on sustainable packaging films
Cardia Bioplastics and Polyden Folien announce their cooperation on sustainable film products for the European packaging industry.
Polyden Folien Managing Director, Peter Moser, said "The combination of packaging performance, environmental profile and cost effectiveness made Cardia BiohybridTM technology the solution for Polyden Folien's sustainable packaging needs."
Polyden Folien's product launch of flexible films made with Cardia BiohybridTM technology is consistent with the company's business development of sustainable packaging.
Cardia Bioplastics Managing Director, Dr Frank Glatz, said "We are delighted to be collaborating with Polyden Folien. They are one of Germany's leading flexible film specialists with a strong track record of providing innovative products to the packaging industry. In addition to offering high performing packaging films and excellent service, they are clearly committed to sustainable development of their products. Our partnership with Polyden Folien will enable their film customers to purchase innovative packaging products with reduced dependence on finite oil resources and lower carbon footprint."
Peter Moser emphasised Polyden Folien‘s strategy on responsible packaging. "We are excited to work with Cardia Bioplastics. Our packaging products made from their BiohybridTM resins will form an integral part of our responsible packaging offering. We are looking forward to presenting our customers the BiohybridTM packaging films, in particular for shrink film applications," he said.
Cardia Bioplastics is benefiting from the trend towards sustainable packaging with products used in a broad range of packaging applications, including flexible film, injection moulding, blow moulding, foam, extrusion and coating applications. It gives customers the choice of using sustainable Cardia BiohybridTM technology (less oil, lower carbon foot print) or Cardia's internationally certified Compostable technology for their packaging or plastic products.
Source: http://www.cardiabioplastics.com
SABIC’s Plants in Brazil and Argentina Earn Certification to Produce FDA-Compliant, Biocompatible Resins for Burgeoning S.A. Healthcare Market
SABIC’s Innovative Plastics business today announced that its manufacturing facilities in Campinas, Brazil and Tortuguitas, Argentina, are now certified to produce U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-compliant and biocompatible resins for the fast-growing South American healthcare market to help slash lead times, reduce inventory costs and increase flexibility in material purchasing. Medical markets in eight Latin and South American countries – Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Peru, Colombia and Cuba – are expected to demonstrate a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.6 percent between 2008 and 2013, reaching U.S. $9.2 billion, according to Espicom Health Intelligence. To meet this increasing demand, SABIC is committed to providing local customers fast and easy access to high-performance materials – such as biocompatible Lexan* HP polycarbonate (PC) resins – and technical resources that they need to bring the next generation of medical applications to market.
“With biocompatible and FDA-certified resin production now in place in our Brazil and Argentina plants, in addition to the United States, Europe and Singapore, we are well positioned to meet the local supply needs of healthcare device manufacturers worldwide who have production facilities here in South America,” said Ricardo Knecht, general manager, South America, Innovative Plastics. “SABIC continues to proactively invest in local capabilities that benefit our customers. Our broad and deep portfolio of healthcare materials, together with value-added services such as custom color matching and technical support, offers a critical competitive advantage in the rapidly changing and highly competitive medical products sector.”
Local Resin Supplies Accelerate Time to Market
With the certification of the two SABIC facilities, medical device manufacturers and other healthcare customers can rely on local sources of supply instead of having to wait for imports to arrive. The lead time for SABIC FDA and biocompatible resins in the region is expected to drop dramatically, helping customers accelerate time to market for their products. With local production of healthcare grades, manufacturers can avoid delays, cut inventory costs because they no longer need to stockpile resin, and enjoy greater flexibility in ordering materials. In addition, customers can now be confident about expanding their use of SABIC healthcare materials in new applications, knowing that they have a reliable local source of supply backed with local expertise, technical support and SABIC’s healthcare product policy.
Local Supply and Support Backed By Healthcare Product Policy
SABIC proactively developed an industry-leading healthcare product policy to simplify regulatory compliance during marketing approval and throughout the device lifecycle. Materials included under the policy have been assessed for biocompatibility, are covered by an FDA Drug or Device Master File, and are subject to formula lock and a stringent change management process. The policy gives customers the comfort of knowing that SABIC is able to lock the formula and have a supply plan in place in the event of change. Pre-assessing biocompatibility helps speed up marketing approval in the regulatory process, while internal controls and change management help assure consistent quality and reliability of supply.
For additional information on SABIC’s healthcare product portfolio and healthcare product policy, please go to www.sabic-ip.com. For technical product inquiries, please contact us at www.sabic-ip.com/prtechinquiry.
Cereplast Introduces Next Generation Hybrid Resins
Cereplast, Inc. (Nasdaq:CERP), a leading manufacturer of proprietary biobased, compostable and sustainable plastics, has introduced the next generation of Cereplast Hybrid Resins®, an expansion of the Biopropylene® PP-based resin product offering through two new bioplastic resin grades, Hybrid 102D and 105D. Cereplast anticipates going to market with the new resin grades during the first half of 2012 in the United States and Europe.
Cereplast Hybrid Resins replace up to 50% of the petroleum content in traditional plastic products with biobased materials such as starches from annually renewable plants. Cereplast Hybrid Resins are suitable for durable goods, including consumer products, interior automotive parts, and furniture, and have a lower carbon footprint than traditional plastics. The new grades Hybrid 102D and Hybrid 105D are both injection molding grades, a heating and cooling manufacturing process in which the material is molded in different shapes.
Cereplast's Biopropylene PP-based resin consists of polypropylene encapsulating starch particles, and includes Hybrid 101, Hybrid 102D and Hybrid 105D. In addition to providing a lower carbon footprint than traditional PP, many of the desirable PP properties are maintained including chemical resistance, mold shrinkage, mold flow, surface appearance, heat deflection temperature, and hinge performance. Hybrid 102D is a formulation that offers a higher starch content than Hybrid 101, while maintaining similar performance. The primary application is injection molding requiring some ductility. Hybrid 105D is a high flow injection molding grade for thinner wall applications than Hybrid 101 and replaces Hybrid 103, providing more consistent properties and processing. All Hybrid grades are FDA compliant for direct food contact.
"As demand for bioplastic resins grows, so does the demand for high-performance durable grades that are cost effective," said Chairman and CEO of Cereplast, Frederic Scheer. "As the price of oil continues to rise, Cereplast Hybrid Resins get closer to parity with traditional plastics, providing an affordable, eco-friendly solution for companies that wish to reduce their environmental impact. Our research and development team have answered the demands of our clients for better-performing hybrid resins with higher levels of starch content. We are proud to introduce the next generation of bioplastic hybrid resins."
Source: www.cereplast.com
