• Volume 16, Number 7-9, 2009

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:27:55
    Composite Interfaces, Volume 16, Number 7-9, 2009. Loaded on 2009-11-05

  • Linoleum: a green material? – A point of view!

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    Linoleum (informally abbreviated to lino) is a floor covering made from renewable composite materials such as solidified linseed oil with ligno-cellulose fibers. The question is to know if it is a true green material (How environmentally friendly is it?). … According to Wikipedia, linoleum is based on various materials including solidified linseed oil, pine rosin, cork dust, wood flour and [...]

  • Liste de compagnies Biotech pour l’industrie des Bioplastiques

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    Récemment, une liste de sociétés spécialisées dans les biotechnologies (principalement blanche) a été publié dans Green Chemicals. Celles -ci produisent des synthons (en anglais : building blocks) ou macromolécules qui peuvent être utilisés par l’industrie des bioplastiques, pour l’élaboration de polymères bio-sourcés. Les synthons produits à partir de biomasse sont de natures très différentes. On trouve des [...]

  • Plastics and Bioplastics – Video presentation

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    A video (28 min.) on Bioplastics and Plastics, from Degrees That Work, with Pennsylvania College of Technology and WVIA public television – Related posts / Billets à lire, en complément : Green plastics from carbon dioxyde Bioplastics and automotive industry are win-win – A point of view! Plastics go green – Video presentation Share and Enjoy:

  • To produce natural latex rubber in Europe

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    All the latex used in Europe is imported, extracted fundamentally from the the Hevea brasiliensis tree. … The largest producers in the world are Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, three Asian countries that have practically the worldwide monopoly of this resource. In order to find alternatives to this commercial dependence and promote the cultivation of latex-producing plant [...]

  • Greener American cars

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    After the French cars, American companies such as Ford Motor continues their efforts to use more renewable and recyclable materials in the vehicles. This includes soy and bio-based seat cushions and seatbacks on the 2010 Ford Taurus. Other vehicles already made with sustainable materials include the Ford Mustang, F-150, Focus, Flex, Escape, Expedition and Econoline [...]

  • The development of a European definition of renewable content is important – A point of view!

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    From With brand owners – and more critically consumers – learning that the “seedling” logo used on compostable packaging across Europe tells them little about its derivation, the development of a European-wide definition of renewable content is becoming ever more important. According to Joran Reske, who is project manager for waste management of compostable packaging at [...]

  • An annual average growth of 13% till 2014 for bioplastics – A market study!

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    Bioplastics are gaining an increasing share in the mass markets for phone accessories, electronics, household appliances and foodstuffs industries. Industry figures from 2009 showed growth in the Bioplastics sector, and predicted an annual average growth of 13% till 2014. Source – Related posts / Billets à lire, en complément : Global biopolymers market analysis and forecasts to [...]

  • Sugar-derived to replace bisphenol A (BPA) in plastics

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    Researchers in the United States have developed a chemical derived from sugar with the potential to replace bisphenol A (BPA) in a number of products, including the lining of food cans. The New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) said Professor Michael Jaffe had received a US patent for an epoxy resin based on isosorbide diglycidyl ether [...]

  • Greener French cars

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    PSA Peugeot-Citroën will replace almost a third of the plastics used in its cars with green materials by 2015, to reduce the ecological footprint of the French company’s vehicles over their lifespan. Plastic car components, such as insulation, soundproofing, bumpers, wing mirrors and dashboard panels, made from fossil fuels would be sourced from plant fibres, such [...]

  • Polyhydroxyalkanoates: a family of biodegradable bioplastics

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    PHA stands for “Polyhydroxyalkanoate”, a family of biopolyesters synthesized by a variety of microorganisms. PHAs are bioplastics. Their properties are similar to many petroleum based thermoplastics and elastomeric materials. But unlike most petroleum plastics, PHAs are sustainable, biodegradable and biocompatible. Sustainable: Naturally, many microorganisms can synthesize PHA from a wide variety of organic matter. These include sugars, [...]

  • Indian bioplastics market needs to find more applications and products – A market study!

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    Bioplastics in India are still at a very nascent stage with only two participants operating in this segment. As compared to the European market, where bioplastic products are commercially available, the Indian bioplastics industry has a long way to go in terms of production, raw materials, and technology. Although the Indian Bioplastics market is beset by [...]

  • Metabolix: the real starting point

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    After a very long period of development, Metabolix seems to start an industrial production of PHA (polyhydoxyalkanoate) products,  named Mirel. For nearly two decades, Oliver Peoples and the Cambridge-based company he founded, Metabolix Inc., have been working on ways to turn crops into biodegradable plastics. The company, founded in 1992 and public since 2006, bore the brunt [...]

  • Futerro: PLA Production in Europe

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    Futerro, a 50/50 joint venture established in September 2007 by Galactic and Total Petrochemicals, announced the inauguration of its bioplastics production unit in Escanaffles, Belgium. Supported by the Walloon Region through the Marshall Plan, the purpose of this unit is to develop state-of-the-art technology for the production of PolyLactic Acid (PLA) bioplastics from renewable vegetable sources [...]

  • After Bio-Pol (The Blog), BIOPOL (The Conference)

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    BIOPOL 2011,  the 3rd International Conference on Biodegradable and/or Biobased Polymers will be held 29-31 August 2011, at University of Strasbourg, France. Scientists from both academic and industrial laboratories who are interested in biodegradable and/or biobased materials are encouraged to participate with the aim to exchange up-to-date ideas on current research and new applications. The conference has [...]

  • Eco-friendly packaging: $170 Billion Worldwide by 2014 – A market study!

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    Packaging is an absolute necessity in the modern world. Our contemporary society places many demands upon packaging relative to issues such as safety, convenience, efficiency, identification, and marketing. However, packaging is also a burden to producers, consumers, and the environment. As more and more people become “modern consumers” around the world, packaging materials and methods, [...]

  • Bioplastics and oxo-degradables jeopardise mechanical recycling

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    The European plastics waste generation nearly reached 25 million tonnes in 2008. Even though 51% of this amount has been recovered more effort is needed to fully use the potential laying in plastics waste. The recycling of post-consumer plastics waste is a challenging and multifaceted topic, for which many solutions exist such as mechanical recycling. [...]

  • Recycling is a good option for biopolymer disposal

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    Recycling is the favourable option for the disposal of biopolymers and other packaging plastics according to new Wrap research. The study, which was carried out at the end of last year, looked at a range of waste management technologies including composting and energy from waste (EfW) technologies such as anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis and gasification. Wrap has updated [...]

  • Current players in PLA-based resins

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    … Aside from NatureWorks, current players and developers in the PLA-based resins field include NatureWorks’ former co-owner Teijin Chemicals of Japan; the Netherlands-based Synbra; Belgium-based Futerro; Pyramid Bioplastics and FKuR both based in Germany; UK-based Plaxica; and China-based Zhejiang Hisun Biomaterials. … Source

  • Biodegradable polymers – A market study!

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    Despite the recent global economic slowdown, the global biodegradable polymers market grew stronger and doubled its market size from 2005-2009. This market is positioned to grow 13% annually between 2009 and 2014.</p Recently, SRI Consulting (SRIC) released its global Biodegradable Polymers report that provides the most comprehensive and timely information on the worldwide biodegradable polymers industry. Overall, [...]

  • A new bio-based polyamide from castor oil

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    A new biobased and industrially produced polyamide: Evonik Industries has expanded its range of compounds for high-performance cables to include bio-based VESTAMID® Terra DS. This polyamide 1010 (PA 10.10) is produced entirely from monomers obtained from castor oil. Castor oil is in turn obtained from the bean of the castor oil plant, which is used neither as food [...]

  • Thermoplastics made of lignins

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    TECNARO GmbH, produces sustainable materials for the automotive and packaging industries and also for the manufacturers of furniture, toys, musical instruments and shoes, based on thermoplastics made of lignins. TECNARO GmbH, which stands for TEChnologie NAchwachsender Rohstoffe (Technology of renewable resources) is a spin-off company of the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT) in Pfinztal [...]

  • The truth about biodegradable plastics – A point of view!

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    In an effort to stymie plastic pollution, new so-called compostable “bioplastics” are being engineered — but how biodegradable are they really? and what does biodegradable or compostable mean? … Mother Earth News tested five types of bioplastic bags to see how well they would compost. None of them broke down completely after 25 weeks in home compost [...]

  • First four-stars (OK biobased) biopolymer

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    NatureWorks Ingeo™ biopolymer — made from plants, not oil — is the first polymer to earn a four-star “OK biobased” rating from the European certification organization Vinçotte of Vilvoorde, Belgium. “With the Ingeo resins now certified, the four-star rating can be used as the foundation for downstream products, earning them an OK biobased rating.” The Vinçotte OK [...]

  • Bioplastics industry has proven to be recession proof – A point of view!

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    The global bioplastics industry has proven its flexibility in navigating the recession, as companies restructured, delayed projects or significantly cut costs. A big accomplishment for the industry last year was that not one major player filed for bankruptcy or completely disappeared, notes Frederic Scheer, chairman and CEO of US-based bioplastic maker Cereplast. “There were [...]

  • Food packaging based on food ingredients

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    Food-packaging products made from dairy ingredients could provide a viable alternative to petroleum-based packaging products, according to a Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist Peggy M. Tomasula. She works at the ARS Eastern Regional Research Center (ERRC) in Wyndmoor, Pa.-USA, where scientists are developing strong, biodegradable dairy-based films that are better oxygen barriers than petrochemical-based [...]

  • Llantas fabricado con bio-materiales renovables

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    La colaboración entre Genencor y Goodyear resultó en un avance tecnológico para llantas fabricadas con materiales renovables. “El primer prototipo de Goodyear manufacturado con BioIsoprene™ demuestra el enorme progreso que hicimos al usar un bio-material alternativo al derivado de petróleo isopreno, en nuestro proceso productivo,” dijo Jesse Roeck, Director Global de Materiales de Goodyear. “El desarrollo del [...]

  • Bad weather for the oxo-degradables

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    After several recent and negative news or statements, concerning the “oxo-degradables” (also called “oxo-biodegradables”), a last study funded by the UK Government is published by the Defra (Dep. for environment food and rural affairs). They showed that some plastics marked as ‘degradable’ might not be as environmentally-friendly as consumers think. The study, carried out by Loughborough [...]

  • Cellophane: a green plastic? – A point of view!

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    Cellophane is a thin, transparent sheet made of regenerated cellulose. Its low permeability to air, oils, greases, and bacteria makes it useful for food packaging. The question is to know if it is a true green plastic (How environmentally friendly is it?). … Cellophane was invented in 1900, but wasn’t commercially available until 1912. At that [...]

  • Higher oil prices increase value proposition for bioplastics – A point of view!

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    Cereplast, Inc., a leading manufacturer of proprietary bio-based, sustainable plastics, commented that higher future oil prices will enable biodegradable plastics to compete more effectively with conventional petroleum-based plastics as price differences between renewable and standard plastic materials begin to eventually decrease and allow bioplastics to become more cost-competitive. On Monday (April 5, 2010), crude for May [...]

  • Bioplastics with time-controlled biodegradation

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    Here’s a whole new way to handle waste and reduce the volume of garbage in landfills. Scientists at the Alberta Bioplastics Network (ABN) in Canada are researching various bioplastics that don’t biodegrade while the product is in use (i.e. as the bumper of your car) but, once tossed away, can be exposed to specific bioengineered enzymes that will [...]

  • Sustainable development: A new bio-based polyamide increases the life of batteries

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    Rhodia has recently announced the launch of Technyl® eXten, a new bio-based polyamide. Rhodia’s Technyl® eXten solution using polyamide 6.10, produced in part from castor oil, is respectful of the environment and offers users high-performance and economically attractive solutions along with a reduced ecological footprint. This polyamide, is helping one of the world’s five largest manufacturers [...]

  • A new sugar-based bioplastic

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    Food packaging and other disposable plastic items could soon be composted at home along with organic waste, thanks to a new sugar-based polymer. The degradable polymer is made from sugars known as lignocellulosic biomass, which come from non-food crops such as fast-growing trees and grasses, or renewable biomass from agricultural or food waste. It is being developed [...]

  • Plastics go green – Video presentation

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    In this Video, find out how scientists are developing more environmentally friendly plastics (bioplastics) using plant materials. By 2020, these bioplastics could provide an alternative for about a fifth of the estimated 100 billion Kilos of plastics manufactures produce each year worldwide. – Related posts / Billets à lire, en complément : IBM has discovered [...]

  • Soy-based material, To cut use of asphalt

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    A new soy-based roofing adhesive product, developed with the help of funding from the United Soybean Board (USB), represents a less toxic, less carcinogenic and less dangerous alternative to hot-applied asphalt roof adhesives. BioBased Elastomeric Bitumen Adhesive (BEBA) represents the first cold-applied, biobased-certified adhesive for built-up roofs (BUR), according to product developer Lance Niemann of Niemann [...]

  • To enlarge the value chain of bioplastics, from biobased succinic acid

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    After the the start-up of the world’s first bio-based succinic acid plant by BioAmber (a joint venture between DNP Green Technology and ARD), DNP Green Technology has acquired a controlling stake in Sinoven Biopolymers Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, Sinoven Biopolymers will operate as a subsidiary of DNP Green Technology with a sales [...]

  • The issue with the “oxo-biodegradables” is one of claiming “biodegradation” – A point of view!

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    According to the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) on “oxo-biodegradables”, one of the main issue is one of claiming “biodegradation” where there is not data to support those claims or prove biodegradability as per accepted standards. Biodegradation needs to be quantified scientifically by well established third-party reviewed specifications. Allowing the brand owner, retailer or [...]

  • IBM has discovered a new way to make biodegradable plastic from plants – Video presentation

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    Researchers at IBM said they have discovered a way to make biodegradable plastic from plants that could replace petroleum-based plastics and other products that are not good for the environment. According to Chandrasekhar Narayan, a manager of science and technology at IBM’s Almaden Research Center in Northern California, the discovery promises Earth-friendly plastic products that are [...]

  • Biological production of adipic acid

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    Verdezyne, Inc., a privately-held synthetic biology company developing processes for renewable chemicals and fuels, announced they are developing a new fermentation process for the production of adipic acid. This company achieved proof of concept by demonstrating production and recovery of adipic acid by a yeast microorganism from an alkane feedstock. Using proprietary technologies, Verdezyne discovered and [...]

  • To develop post-consumer PLA (Polylactic acid) use

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    BIOCOR LLC announced its launch as a new venture in the business of buying, aggregating, and processing post-consumer Polylactic acid (PLA). BIOCOR will capitalize on the ease with which PLA can be converted back to its original lactic acid feedstock for subsequent use in a variety of existing end markets. BIOCOR Executive Director Mike Centers [...]

  • Hypocrisy in green initiatives – A point of view!

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    … Walmart has announced that it would be moving to eliminate non-biodegradable plastic bags from stores across the United States to reduce their collection in landfills. While they’ve demonstrated positive green initiatives, this week there’s been accusations of hypocrisy because they’ve been passing off a harmful, manufactured textile as sustainable. Environmental advocates had been applauding Walmart [...]

  • Oxo-degradable plastics: Questions and Answers

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    What are oxo-degradable plastics? Oxo-degradable plastics are conventional plastics made from petrochemicals (usually polyethylene from fossil ressources). The difference is that oxo-degradable plastics have small concentrations of additives (usually metal salts) that cause them to degrade at an accelerated rate. These plastics will usually be labeled as ‘degradable’, ‘oxo-biodegradable’ and sometimes even ‘biodegradable’ or ‘oxo-biodegradable’. Are oxo-degradable [...]

  • A new brand for bioplastics

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    Bioplastics division of Stanelco plc has been rebranded Biome Bioplastics Limited. As the bioplastics division has seen continued high levels of growth through the development of new technologies, Stanelco has decided to create a new brand. “Stanelco’s bioplastics business has continued to achieve high levels of growth over the last two years, making us one of the [...]

  • To make green polypropylene from sugarcane

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    Braskem and Novozymes take a step toward the bio-based economy by developing polypropylene from sugarcane. Braskem, the largest petrochemical company in Latin America, and Novozymes, the world’s leading producer of industrial enzymes, announced a research partnership to develop large-scale production of polypropylene from sugarcane. “Braskem was the first company in the world to produce a 100% certified [...]

  • Bioplastics: Ten points to remember

    Updated: 2010-04-30 07:26:59
    Bioplastics: Ten Points To Remember, from European Bioplastics 1. Bioplastics are a family of different resin types, which are either bio-based or compostable or both. Bioplastics add new properties and performance characteristics to the huge family of plastics. So-called oxo-biodegradable polymer products, which fragment into small pieces, are not considered to be a bioplastic. 2. Bioplastics have been developed [...]

  • Solving hydrogen storage issues

    Updated: 2010-04-29 01:40:33
    Graphenecarbon formed into sheets a single atom thicknow may be a promising base material for capturing hydrogen, as per recent research* at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Pennsylvania. The findings suggest stacks of graphene layers could potentially store hydrogen safely for use in fuel cells and other applications........

  • Two-Stage Injection Molding

    Updated: 2010-04-21 16:22:54
    My favorite part about working on R&D projects is that they tend to challenge you to think outside the box, try new things, and learn about the latest technologies.  One of our recent development projects involved injection molding a long, thin-walled tube (picture a miniature drinking straw) with a wall [...]

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