a prosperous future for environmentally biodegradable plastics in central europe

This project is implemented through the CENTRAL EUROPE Programme co-financed by the ERDF

A ROADMAP FOR ACTION – FROM SCIENCE TO INNOVATION IN THE

VALUE CHAIN

3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. PLASTICE PROJECT 4

2. MAIN CHALLENGES FOR CENTRAL EUROPE 5

3. VALUE CHAIN DEVELOPMENT 7

4. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 11

4.1. Characterization of the solid-state physical properties of polymers available on

the market 11

4.2. Characterization of the compositions and molecular structures of polymer

materials available on the market 12

4.3. Modification of polymer properties using chemical routes 12

4.4. Modification of polymer properties using physical routes 13

4.5. Optimization of the processing of environmental biodegradable polymers 13

4.6. Development support in industrial production processes 14

4.7. Research on functional properties 15

4.8. Biodegradation and compostability testing 16

5. CONTACTS 17

6. GLOSSARY 18

APPENDIX – CASE STUDIES 23

4

1. PLASTICE PROJECT

The PLASTICE project began in April 2011 under the Central Europe Program. In total, 13 partners –

including companies, business support organizations and research institutions – from Italy, Poland, the

Slovak Republic and Slovenia joined forces to identify barriers and to promote value chain

development for sustainable plastics, specifically environmentally biodegradable plastics.

The general project objective is “creating framework conditions for enhancing the development of the

biodegradable plastics market in Central Europe as an innovative test bed for new product

applications in selected industries”. The industry sector with the greatest immediate potential for

biodegradable plastics is the packaging sector (food containers, wraps, nets and foams). This sector

includes the production of plastic bags for the collection and composting of green waste and super-

market carrier bags that are increasingly subjected to environmental scrutiny. Biodegradable plastics

can also be used in a number of other disposable or single-use applications intended for general use

(disposable plates and bowls, cold drink cups, cutlery, etc.) or specialized applications (sporting

accessories, agriculture, etc.), although the applications are not exclusively limited to these sectors.

The roadmap presented herein aims to support application-oriented cooperation between research

institutions and companies in Central Europe in the field of environmentally biodegradable plastics. By

bringing together knowledge and competencies available in the respective institutions, this roadmap

helps to guide producers through the process from research to commercialization of new

environmentally biodegradable plastics and their applications. A set of case studies illustrates

important issues to be considered when starting the production of environmentally biodegradable

plastics and their applications.

This document was prepared within the Work Package 3 of the project Innovative Value

Chain Development for Sustainable Plastics in Central Europe (PLASTiCE), co-financed

under the Central Europe Programme by the European Regional Development Fund.

5

2. MAIN CHALLENGES FOR CENTRAL EUROPE

The plastics industry in the European Union is represented by more than 59,000 companies –

most of which are small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) - and is generating a turnover

of approximately 300 billion euros per year1. Although the economic downturn between

2008 and 2012 in the European Union has negatively influenced sales figures in many

industrial sectors, the plastics market in Central Europe is dynamically growing again after

going through a two-year depression. We have witnessed several mergers and acquisitions

in the plastics industry during the last three years, as well as growing market opportunities for

new applications in the automotive, aviation, medical, electronics and white goods sectors.

However, from the environmental perspective, the disposal of plastics is still of major concern

among European policy makers. Plastics are being applied almost everywhere, and the

demand for plastics increases every year. This creates severe challenges for waste

management and has a great impact on the environment because only a small fraction of

plastic waste is being recycled.

In March 2013, the European Commission launched the “Green Paper on a European

Strategy on Plastic Waste in the Environment”2 as part of a broader review of the European

waste legislation. Prior to this report, plastic waste was only addressed in the Packaging and

Packaging Waste Directive 94/62/EC, which included specific recycling targets for

household waste. The European Commission took an important step towards producer

responsibility in the waste management process in the Directive on Waste 2008/98/EC

(article 8). In 2011, the European plastics industry launched the idea of a zero plastics to

landfill principle by 2020. If the European Commission and the national governments follow

this recommendation, it would cause a severe challenge for Central Europe, where a major

portion of plastic waste still ends up in landfills.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development foresees that the world will need a

4- to 10-fold increase in resource efficiency by 2050 to meet the demand for final products

and applications3. Presently, cheap plastic gadgets, fun articles, short life toys, plastic carrier

bags and other single-use products are often available at prices that do not reflect their full

environmental costs4. A system reflecting the true environmental costs, from the extraction of

raw materials to production, distribution and disposal, would help to consider other

solutions, for example, the introduction of environmentally biodegradable plastics.

1 Plastics – the Facts 2012, An analysis of European plastics production, demand and waste data for 2011, PlasticsEurope, 2012, page 3

2 Green Paper “On a European Strategy on Plastic Waste in the Environment”, Brussels, 7.3.2013, COM(2013) 123 final

3 Communication from the Commission to the European parliament, the council, the European Economic and Social

Committee and the Committee of the Regions, Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe, Brussels, 20.9.2011, COM(2011) 571 final, page 2

4 Green Paper “On a European Strategy on Plastic Waste in the Environment”, Brussels, 7.3.2013, COM(2013) 123 final, page 15

6

Although Europe as a whole has been a global leader in biodegradable plastics during the

past decade, the United States of America and Asian countries are dynamically developing

new applications. Central Europe is still lagging behind in its concern of the production and

consumption of biodegradable plastics applications. Industrial pioneers in this area involved

in the PLASTICE project noted the following barriers to overcome:

Functional properties of biodegradable plastics have to be improved;

Know-how on ways to increase the shelf life of biodegradable packaging should be

gained;

The implementation of the transformation process from traditional plastics to

biodegradable plastics should be better managed in close cooperation with external

partners, including material suppliers and research institutes;

The waste treatment systems should be provided with infrastructure to better segregate

biodegradable plastics from conventional plastics.

According to estimations from Global Industry Analysts Inc., the global market for

biodegradable polymers could achieve a volume of 1.1 million tons by 20175. To support the

development process of biodegradable plastics, the European Commission has set an

important milestone in its Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe: “By 2020, scientific

breakthroughs and sustained innovation efforts have dramatically improved how we

understand, manage, reduce the use, reuse, recycle, substitute and safeguard and value

resources. This has been made possible by substantial increases in investment, coherence in

addressing the societal challenge of resource efficiency, climate change and resilience, and

in gains from smart specialization and cooperation within the European research area.”6

More specifically, between 2014 and 2020, the European Commission will focus research

funding, among others, on supporting innovative solutions for biodegradable plastics.

Taking the above statement into account, increasing demand in packaging and single-use

product applications, growing awareness among end-users, pressuring landfill policies to

ban plastics, unpredictable petroleum costs in the next decade and technological progress in

biodegradable polymers are among the main drivers for developing the biodegradable

plastics value chain in Central Europe.

The roadmap for value chain development is focused on environmentally biodegradable

plastics, specifically compostable polymers (according to EN 13432, EN 14995,

ASTM D6400, ASTM D6868, ISO 17088, AS 4736, AS 5810 and ISO 18606), designed to

be disposed of in municipal and industrial aerobic composting facilities; based on renewable

and non-renewable resources; applied in packaging, catering or agriculture; and available

on the European market on a medium to large scale.

5 Biodegradable polymers. A global strategic business report, 2012 (www.strategyr.com)

6 Communication from the Commission to the European parliament, the council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee

of the Regions, Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe, Brussels, 20.9.2011, COM(2011) 571 final, page 9

7

3. VALUE CHAIN DEVELOPMENT

The value chain structure for environmentally biodegradable plastics is comparable to the

value chain for traditional plastics. However, in the case of traditional plastics, more

attention is focused on the recycling and reuse processes, whereas the degradation and

composting processes are taken into account with respect to environmentally biodegradable

plastics.

In each stage of the value chain, there are specific research and development hurdles to

overcome.

Companies willing to set up a biodegradable plastics production facility or planning to

modify existing processes for new biodegradable plastics applications will likely face one of

the following questions, for which this roadmap delivers a first set of answers. For more

information, contact the national information point of contact in your country.

Research institutions

Ra

w m

ate

ria

ls s

up

plie

rs

Pro

duce

rs a

nd

co

m-

po

un

de

rs o

f e

nvi

ron

.

bio

de

gra

da

ble

pla

stic

s

Downstream industries

(food packaging,

cosmetics,

pharmaceutics,…)

Distributors, retailers of biodegradable

packaging

European Directives on waste management

National laws on waste management

Certification systems

Re

use

an

d re

cyclin

g

Co

mp

ostin

g

Public and non-profit organizations responsible for awareness raising campaigns, training and advice

Rig

id o

r fl

exi

ble

pla

stic

con

vert

ers

Distributors, retail-

ers of products in

biodegradable

packaging

Co

nsu

me

rs

Characteriza-

tion of polymers

available on the

market

Modification of

polymer proper-

ties using chemi-

cal and physical

routes

Processing

of

polymers

Designing

effective

industrial

production

conditions

Application

properties of

environmentally

biodegradable

plastic products

Biodegradation

and

compostability

testing

8

Question 1: What type of biodegradable

polymers will fit best with my current

processing technology?

You should consider characterizing the solid

-state physical properties of polymers

available on the market.

Such activities include assessment of the

thermal stability, softening temperature and

mechanical properties.

This will allow you to select the most

promising polymer on the market for the

current processing technology as well as the

foreseen application.

You can find more information on page 11.

You might also consider characterizing the

compositions and molecular structures of

polymers for specific applications.

Question 2: How can I make sure that the

selected biodegradable polymer material

has the appropriate properties for my

applications? Which parameters should I

take into account to guarantee product

quality and biodegradability at the end of

the product life cycle? How can I verify

reproducibility of the polymer material I am

supplied with?

You should consider characterizing the

compositions and molecular structures of

polymer materials available on the market.

Such activities include an assessment of the

properties of final products, determination of

impurities affecting processing of the

material as well as the content and type of

filler.

This will allow you to select the proper

polymer material for your applications and

ensure that each polymer material lot

delivered by your supplier meets the

expected quality standards. You will also

obtain insight on the specific storage

(humidity, sunlight and temperature) and

processing conditions for the selected

polymer materials, as well as on the shelf life

conditions for products based on these ma-

terials. You will be able to obtain

information on the non-recyclable fractions

of your product.


Question 3: How can I chemically adjust the

properties of available polymer materials to

my specific production needs?

You should consider modifying the polymer

properties using chemical routes.

Such activities include the application of

chain extenders, introduction of functional

groups and surface modification of the

product (e.g., foil for better printing).

This will allow you to tailor the properties of

the material to your specific requirements.


You might also consider a research project

that could result in a patentable process.

Question 4: How can I adjust the properties

of commercially available polymer

materials by physical means to meet my

special needs?

You should consider modifying the polymer

properties using physical routes.

9

Such activities include the formation of

multicomponent materials through the

addition of plasticizers, compatibilizers,

fillers (preferably biodegradable) or

blending with another biodegradable

polymer.

This will allow you to tailor the properties of

the material to your specific requirements,

one of them being a decrease in the price of

the material.


You might also consider specific research

aimed at substantially improving the

processing parameters, ultimate properties

and application performance of the

material.

Question 5: What should I do when

problems occur during processing on my

production line?

You should consider optimizing the

processing of biodegradable polymers.

Such activities include identifying the most

appropriate temperature conditions in each

of the production stages. In most cases,

processing problems arise from the low

thermal stability of biodegradable plastics.

If the processing temperature is higher than

the critical temperature, the material may

undergo degradation, leading to a

decrease in molecular weight and a drop in

viscosity. You could consider lowering the

processing temperature or decreasing the

residence time in the processing equipment.

If this is impossible (e.g., the melting

temperature of the material is too high),

applied research is recommended,

including the application of stabilizers,

chain extenders, plasticizers or other routes

that result in a decrease of the detrimental

effects of degradation.

This will allow you to use your equipment in

its current condition or with small

modifications to the technology procedure

without the need to invest in an entirely new

production line.


You might also consider applied research

leading to the development of an

appropriate procedure for processing a

particular biodegradable material with the

chosen equipment and conditions.

Question 6: How should I conform or adapt

the production parameters of my

technology process?

You should consider development support

for the industrial production processes of

your product.

Such activities include testing of the

biodegradable plastic material under

laboratory production conditions, pilot

testing for new products and on-the-spot

adaptation of the technical parameters of

the technology process.

This will allow you to reduce the risk of

failure and minimize the costs of the product

start-up stage.


10

Question 7: How can I obtain insight into the

functional properties of my biodegradable

product?

You should consider analyzing the functional

properties of your product in concrete

application areas.

Such activities include the determination of

the aging properties of polymer materials,

barrier properties of polymer materials (gas

permeation), thermo-mechanical properties

of polymer materials, durability and

shelf-life properties.

This will allow you to offer a product on the

market that meets the specific transport,

storage, shelf-life and composting

requirements.


Question 8: How can I confirm that my

product is really compostable according to

industrial or home composting standards?

You should consider biodegradation and

compostability testing.


heavy metal contents, testing of

disintegration and fragmentation and

eco-toxicity testing (plant growth on

compost).

This will allow you to obtain information on

whether your product is eligible for

certification and for receiving respective

symbols or marks. You will be able to inform

final consumers about the compostability of

the product.


Question 9: How can I determine the

percentage of renewable/biogenic carbon

in my product?

You should consider determining the

biobased content according to the ASTM

D6866 standard.


organic carbon content and determination

of renewable/biogenic carbon content

using one of the methods described in the

ASTM D6866 for isotope activity

determination.

This will allow you to obtain information on

the percentage of biobased contents in your

material, which is important for certification

and marketing activities on promoting the

sustainability of your products.

11

4. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Here, you will find an overview of the research and development activities to be taken into

account when considering the development and production of environmentally

biodegradable polymers, the production of environmentally biodegradable plastics products

or when planning to use environmentally biodegradable packaging for your products.

4.1. Characterization of the solid-state physical properties of polymers available on

the market

If you want to… …consider the following research activity … to obtain more

information on…

Estimated

delivery time

Select a polymer

with appropriate

thermal stability

features

Analysis of the thermal stability (degradation

temperature) of single- or multi-component

materials (by thermogravimetric analysis,

from RT to 900°C in an inert atmosphere or

air)

The temperature range in

which the polymer can be

safely processed

3 days

(single

sample)

7-14 days

(up to 10

samples)

Obtain insight on

the thermal

degradation

behavior of a

polymer

Analysis of the thermal stability and mass

spectrometry of volatiles (by TGA-MS, from

RT to 900°C) and changes in molecular

weight (GPC)

The degradation fractions

released by the polymer

during thermal treatment

3 days

(single

sample)

7-14 days

(up to 10

samples)

Assess the

specific softening

temperature of a

polymer

Analysis of thermal transitions (glass,

crystallization and melting transitions by

determination of the transition temperatures

and of the respective specific heat incre-

ments; crystallization and melting enthalpies

by differential scanning calorimetry in the

temperature range of -100°C to 250°C with

liquid nitrogen cooling), 2 scans per sample

The processing

temperature window, the

setup of processing

parameters and the

temperature range of use

of a processed item

14-30 days

(depending

on the

number of

samples)

Verify the

mechanical

properties of the

polymer material

Evaluation of mechanical properties at room

temperature (elastic modulus, stress and

strain at yield and break by tensile testing

with statistical analysis of the results for a

minimum of 8 specimens)

Material performance in

terms of strength, rigidity

and deformability

14-35 days

(depending

on the num-

ber of sam-

ples)

Verify the thermo-

mechanical be-

havior of the

polymer material

in specific

conditions

Determination of the viscoelastic relaxations

(by dynamic mechanical analysis in single-

or multi-frequency modes in the temperature

range of -150°C to 250°C)

Long-term behavior of the

material (potential aging);

material response to

vibrational strain.

21-30 days

Determine if a

fraction of the

polymer is

crystalline

Structural analysis of the crystal phase (by

wide angle X-ray powder diffraction)

Dependence of the solid-

state material behavior on

the amount of crystallinity

14 days

12

4.2. Characterization of the compositions and molecular structures of polymer

materials available on the market

4.3. Modification of polymer properties using chemical routes


information on…

Estimated

delivery time

Obtain insight on

the composition

of insoluble or

cross-linked

materials

Determination of the solid-state properties

using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, Fourier

Transform Infrared spectrometer)

The type of polymer and

functional groups present

in the polymeric material

7-14 days

Determine if there

is any filler in the

material

Characterization of the material solubility

and determination of the polymer

percentage in the plastic

The content and type of

insoluble filler 7-21 days

Obtain insight on

the composition

of the soluble

fraction of the

material

Characterization of the polymer in the

plastic by NMR (nuclear magnetic

resonance) spectroscopy

The chemical structure of

the selected polymer

(statistical content of

particular units)

7-21 days

Determine if your

polymer material

has suitable

molecular weight

for the specific

application

Evaluation of the polymer molecular weight

using the GPC technique (gel permeation

chromatography)

The molar mass, molar

mass dispersity as well as

branching degree

7-21 days

Identify which

organic additives

your plastic

contains

Analysis of the additives using mass

spectrometry (LCMS-IT-TOF, hybrid mass

spectrometer)

The chemical structures of

the organic additives 7-21 days

Determine

whether your

PHA is a physical

blend or

copolymer

Sequence analysis of PHA using NMR and

mass spectrometry techniques

The chemical homogeneity

of the PHA samples 7-21 days


information on…

Estimated

delivery time

Obtain insight on

the ultimate

properties and

processing

parameters

Determination of the physical properties of

polymeric materials

The mechanical

properties, viscosity, flow

curves, gas permeation

and flammability of the

material

3-14 days

Identify how to

change

properties of the

commercially

available

material

Modification of polymers to achieve specific

properties, i.e., crosslinking of polymers for

better solvent resistance

The development of

tailored material

according to specific

requirements

30 days

(up to 2 years

in the case of

tailored

applied

research)

Understand how

to achieve spe-

cial surface prop-

erties

Modification of polymers to achieve specific

properties, i.e., increased polymer surface

polarity for better printability, adhesion and

thermal and oxidative stability

The development of

tailored surface material

properties to specific

requirements

30 days

(up to 2 years

in the case of

tailored

applied

research)

13

4.4. Modification of polymer properties using physical routes

4.5. Optimization of the processing of environmentaly biodegradable

polymers


information on…

Estimated

delivery time

Change

properties by

adding

low–molecular

weight additives

Modification of the properties of a particular

polymer by adding low-molecular weight

additives, e.g., plasticizers, chain extenders,

stabilizers, or by blending with small

quantities of another polymer to achieve the

desired properties

The development of a

tailored material

according to specific

requirements

30 days

(up to 2 years in

the case of

tailored applied

research)

Change

properties by

blending with

other polymers

Blending two polymers over their full

concentration range to give the desired

properties, achieved by modification of the

interface and compatibility of the

components

Development of

tailored material

according to your

requirements

30 days

(up to 2 years in

the case of

tailored applied

research)

Change

properties by

adding fillers

Preparation of composites based on a

polymeric matrix with tailored properties via

modification of the interface

The possibilities to

lower overall material

costs by adding

low-cost additives with

marginal or no

changes in required

properties

30 days

(up to 2 years in

the case of

tailored applied

research)

If you want to … …consider the following research activity … to obtain more

information on…

Estimated

delivery time

Optimize the

processing route

for a particular

polymer material

Determination of the processing parameters

of selected polymer materials

The parameters of the

new production line to

be installed or the

technology procedure

manual for your current

production line

7-30 days

14

4.6. Development support in industrial production processes


information on…

Estimated

delivery time

Determine

whether your

production line

will be capable

of processing the

selected polymer

material for film

production

Laboratory scale production of films,

including research on processing and

blending, production of master batches

combined with injection molding, production

of specimens for material testing and

recording of the rheological properties

The pilot conditions for

material processing 7-14 days

Determine

whether your

production line

will be capable

of processing the

selected polymer

material for

flexible packag-

ing production

Laboratory scale production of flexible

packaging

The behavior of the

melting and film

blowing processing

properties of the

product you intend to form

7-14 days

Identify the most

appropriate

processing

parameters

Support of pilot production on-site

The processing

parameters that allow you

to minimize quality and

cost risks

1-45 days

Obtain insight on

possible changes

that might occur

in the physical

properties of the

material after

processing

Controlling the mechanical properties of the

product during the production process, i.e.,

mechanical property measurements (Instron

model 4204 tensile tester)

The probability of

degradation and

crystallization in the

processing and

product storage stage as

well as the additives you

should consider

7-14 days

Verify whether

the material

molecular prop-

erties change

during processing

Controlling the molecular weight of the

product after the production process

The degree of

degradation of the

material during processing

7-21 days

15

4.7. Research on functional properties

*Average delivery time, including preparation, testing and reporting. Times can vary based

on the actual laboratory queue


information on…

Estimated

delivery time

Obtain insight on

product durability

under specific

storage and

usage conditions

Xenotest method used to determine the

material behavior in natural conditions

Product shelf life and

lifetime 120 days*

Obtain insight on

the ecological

impact of the

material

Determination of the total organic carbon

and bio-based content of the polymer

materials

How much renewable

carbon is in your

material

30 days*

Understand how

gases are trans-

mitted through the

product

Testing the permeability of water vapor,

oxygen and carbon dioxide

Possible applications

of the product in

downstream industries

(fresh food, frozen

food)

14 days*

Identify possible

applications for

selected materials

and products

based on them

Determination of tensile properties (stress at

break, elongation at break, modulus of elas-

ticity, etc.)

Determination of tear resistance

Determination of impact resistance using the

free-falling dart method

Mechanical properties

for specific

applications, such as

durability

14 days*

Understand more

about closure and

sealing

opportunities of

your material or

product

Sealing properties (max load at break,

sealing resistance, etc.)

Hot-tack seal testing

How and under which

conditions your

material seals

14 days*

Obtain insight on

the

physical-chemical

properties of the

product

DSC (differential scanning calorimetry) and

FT-IR (infrared spectroscopy)

The application tem-

perature range of your

product and its

suitability for specific

applications

7 days*

Determine

whether your

product is appro-

priate for food

applications

Sensory analysis

Overall and specific migration testing of low

-molecular substances into foodstuffs

How taste and smell

are transferred from

the material to the

food product

What substances travel

from the material to the

food product

30-60 days*

Verify the

presence of

dangerous

impurities

Testing of the monomer content in plastic

materials and of the emission of volatile

substances

The processing risks

leading to difficulties in

certification 30 days*

16

4.8. Biodegradation and compostability testing


information on…

Estimated

delivery time

Verify how

quickly your ma-

terial

disintegrates in

compost

Disintegration testing under laboratory

condi t ions: pre l iminary tes ts of

biodegradation on the packaging material

using simulated composting conditions in a

laboratory-scale test according to EN

14806: 2010

The compostability

potential of your material 120 days

Understand how

well your

material

biodegrades

Degradation under laboratory conditions:

hydrolytic degradation test in water or a

buffer solution (degradation tests of

biodegradable polymers in simple aging

media to predict the behavior of the

polymers)

The degradation

potential of your

material in specific media

Up to 180

days

(depending

on the type

of

materials and

the standard)

Understand how

well your

material

biodegrades

Degradation and compostability testing

under laboratory conditions: laboratory

degradation in compost using a

r e s p i ro me t ry t e s t ( Res p i r o me te r

Micro-Oxymax S/N 110315, Columbus

Instruments, for measuring CO2 under

laboratory conditions according to EN ISO

14855-1:2009 - Determination of the

ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic

materials under controlled composting

conditions - Method by analysis of evolved

carbon dioxide - Part 2: Gravimetric

measurement of carbon dioxide evolved in a

laboratory-scale test)

The compostability

potential of your

material

Up to 180

days

(depending

on the type

of

materials and

the standard)

Obtain feedback

on whether your

product might

receive the

necessary

certification and

labels

(Bio)degradation and compostability testing

at composting facilities (tests of

biodegradable material in an industrial

composting pile or a KNEER container

composting system)

The conditions for

getting your product

certified and obtaining the

right to mark it with a

compostability label

Up to 180

days

(depending

on the type

of

materials and

the standard)

17

5. CONTACTS

For more information contact your national information point.

For Italy,

Austria

University of Bologna, Department of Chemistry ‘G. Ciamician’

Mariastella Scandola, Professor, head of the Polymer Science Group

Tel./Fax: +39 0512099577/+39 0512099456

E-mail: [email protected]

For Czech

Republic,

Slovak

Republic

Polymer Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences

Ivan Chodak, Senior scientist, Professor

Tel./Fax: +421 2 3229 4340 / +421 2 5477 5923


Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava

Dušan Bakoš, Professor

Tel./Fax: +421 903 238191, +421 2 59325439, fax +421 2 52495381


For

Slovenia,

Balkan

States

National Institute of Chemistry, Laboratory for Polymer Chemistry and

Technology

Andrej Kržan, Senior research associate

Tel./Fax: +386 1 47 60 296


Center of Excellence Polymer Materials and Technologies (CO PoliMaT)

Urska Kropf, Researcher

Tel./Fax: +386 3 42 58 400


For Poland,

Baltic States

Polish Academy of Sciences, Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials

Marek Kowalczuk, Head of the Biodegradable Materials Department

Tel./Fax: +48 32 271 60 77/+48 32 271 29 69


COBRO—Packaging Research Institute

Hanna Żakowska, Deputy Director for Research

Tel./Fax: +48 22 842 20 11 ext. 18


18

6. GLOSSARY

Polymer - macromolecule composed of many repeating units.

A polymer (poly-mer from Greek: poly - many, meros - parts) is normally considered to be an

organic compound, although inorganic polymers are also known. Polymers can contain

thousands of repeating units (monomers) arranged in a linear or branched fashion and can

reach molecular weights greater than one million Daltons (Dalton = g/mol).

Polymers are found in nature or are man-made (artificial, synthetic). Natural polymers

(= biopolymers) are specific and crucial constituents of living organisms. Polymers are mainly

polysaccharides (e.g., cellulose, starch and glycogen) and proteins (e.g., gluten, collagen

and enzymes), although many other forms are also known, such as lignin and polyesters. Man

-made polymers are a large and diverse group of compounds not known in nature. They are

synthesized through chemical or biochemical methods. The global annual production of

man-made polymers was estimated to be 230 million tons in 2009 (Plastics – The Facts

2010).

The main use of man-made polymers is in the production of plastics. Polymers are

distinguished from plastics in that they are pure compounds, whereas plastics are formulated

materials ready for use.

Biopolymer – polymer formed by living organisms.*

Biopolymers (= natural polymers) are crucial constituents of living organisms, including

proteins, nucleic acids and polysaccharides. They are mainly polysaccharides (e.g.,

cellulose, starch and glycogen) and proteins (e.g., gluten, collagen and enzymes), although

many other forms are also known, such as lignin, polyesters, etc. Alternative 1: fully or

partially bio-based polymer (CEN/TR 15932:2009)

* Adapted based on PAC, 1992, 64, 143 (Glossary for chemists of terms used in biotechnology (IUPAC

Recommendations 1992)), definition on page 148

Plastics – polymer-based materials that are characterized by their plasticity.

The main component of plastics (from Greek: plastikos - fit for molding, plastos - molded) is

polymers, which are “formulated” by the addition of additives and fillers to yield the

technological material – plastics. Plastics are defined by their plasticity – a state of a viscous

fluid at some point during its processing.

According to EN ISO 472: Plastics - Material that contains a high polymer as an essential

ingredient and that can be shaped by flow at some stage in its processing into finished

products.

Biodegradation – breakdown of a substance by biological activity.

Biodegradation must involve the action of living organisms in the degradation process;

however, it can be combined with other abiotic processes. Biodegradation occurs through

the action of enzymes applied either as digestive systems in living organisms and/or as

isolated or excreted enzymes. Organisms carry out biodegradation on substrates that are

19

recognized as food and serve as a source of nutrients. The end products of biodegradation are common products of digestion, such as carbon dioxide, water, biomass or methane. This

final step is known as ultimate biodegradability or biological mineralization. For practical

purposes, the rate of biodegradation and the final products of biodegradation should be

known.

Biodegradable plastics (Environmentally biodegradable plastics) – plastics susceptible to

biodegradation.

The degradation process of biodegradable plastics can include different parallel or

subsequent abiotic and biotic steps; however, it must include the step of biological

mineralization. Biodegradation of plastics occurs if the organic material of plastics is used as

a source of nutrients by the biological system (organism).

Biodegradable plastics can be based on a renewable-biomass (i.e., starch) or

nonrenewable-fossil (i.e., oil) feedstocks processed in a chemical or biotechnological

process. The source or process by which biodegradable plastics are produced does not

influence the classification as biodegradable plastic. The biodegradation rate of a plastic

item depends, in addition to the specific plastics formulation, also on the surface-to-volume

ratio, thickness, etc.

Compostable plastics – plastics that biodegrade under the conditions, and in the timeframe,

of the composting cycle.

Composting is a method of organic waste treatment conducted under aerobic conditions

(presence of oxygen) where the organic material is converted by naturally occurring

microorganisms. During industrial composting, the temperature in the composting heap can

reach temperatures up to 70 °C. Composting is conducted in moist conditions. The

composting process takes place over months. It is important to understand that

biodegradable plastics are not necessarily compostable plastics (they can biodegrade over

a longer time period or under different conditions), whereas compostable plastics are always

biodegradable. The definition of criteria for compostable plastics is important because

materials not compatible with composting can decrease the final quality of compost.

Compostable plastics are defined by a series of national and international standards (i.e.,

EN13432 and ASTM D6900), which refer to industrial composting. EN13432 defines the

characteristics of a packaging material to be recognized as compostable and acceptable to

be recycled through composting of organic solid waste. EN 14995 broadens the scope to

plastics used in non-packaging applications. These standards are the basis for a number of

certification systems.

According to EN 13432, a compostable material must possess the following characteristics:

Biodegradability: capability of the compostable material to be converted into CO2

under the action of microorganisms. This property is measured through the standard

EN 14046 (also published as ISO 14855 - biodegradability under controlled

composting conditions). To demonstrate complete biodegradability, a biodegradation

level of at least 90 % must be reached in less than 6 months.

Disintegrability: physical fragmentation and loss of visibility in the final compost

measured in a pilot-scale composting test (EN 14045).

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Absence of negative effects on the composting process

Low levels of heavy metals and absence of negative effect on the final compost

Home composting differs from industrial composting by the lower temperature in the composting heap. A plastic material must be specially tested to prove compostability under

home composting conditions.

Bioplastics – a plastic material that is biodegradable, bio-based or both.*

The term in the primary definition is widely used in the plastics industry and less in the scientific

community.

Alternative use 1: may also mean biocompatible plastics (CEN/TR 15932).

Alternative use 2: natural plastic material. There are very few known bioplastics. A leading example is

polyhydroxyalkanoates – natural thermoplastic polyesters.

* European Bioplastics

Bio-based plastics – plastics based on biomass (excluding fossilized biomass).

Plastics can be fully or partially based on biomass (= renewable resources). The use of

renewable resources should lead to a higher sustainability of plastics. Although fossil sources

are natural, they are not renewable and are not considered a basis for biobased plastics. For

defining the extent to which plastics are bio-based, see Biobased carbon content. Biobased

materials are often referred to as biomaterials, although, in professional use the terms are not

synonyms (see Biomaterial). The use of this term as a synonym to the term biobased plastics is

inappropriate and should thus be discouraged.

Biomass – material of biological origin, excluding fossilized and geologic materials

(= renewable resources) The terms biomass and renewable resources describe the same

materials from the aspect of source and time of replenishment. Renewable resource is a

resource that is replenished at a rate comparable to its exploitation rate. Biomass can be of

animal, vegetal or microbial origin.

Biobased – derived from biomass.

Biobased carbon content – content of biomass-derived carbon as mass fraction of total

organic carbon in a material.

Biobased carbon content is precisely determined by measurement of the 14C isotope content.

(14C in renewable resources is much higher than in fossil sources and the half-life is 5730

years). This method is the basis for the ASTM D6866 standard: Standard Test Methods for Determining the Biobased Content of Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples Using Radiocarbon Analysis. More standards on this basis are currently under development. Certificates and

certification logos based on ASTM D6866 are available for materials of different biobased

content. “Biobased content” has the same meaning according to ASTM D6866. Closely rela-

ted “biomass content” is defined as the mass fraction of biomass sourced material (CEN/TR

15932:2009).

http://www.plastice.org/faq/plastice-glossary-of-terms/#c103

http://www.plastice.org/faq/plastice-glossary-of-terms/#c104

21

Biomaterial – material for biomedical applications

See definitions issued by the international Society for Biomaterials:

http://www.biomaterials.org/index.cfm

Sustainability – a general term that describes the resource burden of a process or product.

There are two main scopes in which sustainability is presented. The narrower focuses

exclusively on the use of material and energy resources. The broader takes account of wider

social aspects and considers sustainability to be composed of economic, social and resource

sustainability. The latter definition is seen as less well-defined because of the arbitrary nature

of parameters and criteria used, while the former has a more technical aspect.

Sustainability is most commonly described by the definition that arose at the Rio conference

on climate change: The use of resources without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to do so as well. A different definition focusing on material and energy renewability was

coined by R. Baum, Sun based in real-time. The point of both definitions is that sustainability

is not compatible with terminal and exhaustive consumption of resources. The second

definition acknowledges the sun as the sole source of energy (also needed for biomass

creation).

Key tools identified to evaluate sustainability can be grouped into four main categories:

1. Tools for Sustainable Governance (e.g., GGP);

2. Methods and tools for assessing environmental, economic and social impacts (e.g.,

LCA);

3. Tools for environmental management and certification (e.g., EMAS);

4. Tools for sustainable design (e.g., ecodesign).

Sustainability is commonly measured by the use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a systematic

and objective method for evaluating and quantifying the energy and environmental

consequences and potential impacts associated with a product/process/activity throughout

its entire life cycle from the acquisition of raw materials until its end of life (“from cradle to

grave”). In this technique, all phases of a production process are considered as related and

interdependent, making it possible to evaluate the cumulative environmental impacts. At an

international level, LCA is governed by the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards. LCA is the

main tool for implementing ‘Life Cycle Thinking’ (LCT). LCT is fundamental as a cultural

approach because it involves considering the entire product chain and identifying which

improvements and innovations can be made to it.

LCA is also known as life-cycle analysis, ecobalance, and cradle-to-grave analysis.

http://www.biomaterials.org/index.cfm

22

Sources:

1. Plastics – The Facts 2010, European Plastics, 2010 http://www.plasticseurope.org/

documents/document/20101006091310-final_plasticsthefacts_28092010_lr.pdf

2. IUPAC. Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book"). Compiled

by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford (1997).

XML on-line corrected version: http://goldbook.iupac.org (2006-) created by M. Nic,

J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins.

3. EN ISO 472 Plastics - Vocabulary

4. Technical report CEN/TR 15932: 2010 Plastics - Recommendation for terminology and

characterisation of biopolymers and bioplastics, European Committee for Standardiza-

tion, Brussels, March 24, 2010.

5. ASTM D883 - 11 Standard Terminology Relating to Plastics (including literature related

to plastics terminology in Appendix X1)

6. EN 13193:2000 Packaging – Packaging and the environment – Terminology

7. EN 13432:2000 Packaging - Requirements for packaging recoverable through compo-

sting and biodegradation

8. EN 14995:2006 Plastics: Evaluation of compostability

9. Council of the European Union, Improving environmental policy instruments. Council

conclusions, Brussels, 21 December 2010.

http://www.plasticseurope.org/documents/document/20101006091310-final_plasticsthefacts_28092010_lr.pdf

http://www.plasticseurope.org/documents/document/20101006091310-final_plasticsthefacts_28092010_lr.pdf

http://goldbook.iupac.org/

23

APPENDIX—CASE STUDIES

Posters, presented at 3rd International PLASTiCE Conference THE FUTURE

OF BIOPLASTICS

CS 1A — Testing of markers for easy identification of biodegradable plastics in the

waste stream

CS 1B — Testing of markers for easy identification of biodegradable plastics in the

waste stream

CS 2B — Systematic approach for sustainable production for bioplastics - Composting

CS 3 — Sustainable plastics materials in hygiene products

CS 4&5 — Production of packaging for eggs made from BDPs

CS 6A — Introduction of biodegradable plastics into drinking straw production

CS 6B — Introduction of biodegradable materials into production of twines for

agriculture

Innovative value chain developement for sustainable plastics in Central Europe

INTRODUCTION

Biodegradable plastics when properly disposed with organic waste are in appearance indistinguishable from non-degradable plastics. In some

processes they are excluded from the organic waste stream and are incinerated or landfilled. This completely annihilates the potential of biodegradable

plastics to be integrated in the natural material cycles. A solution is the introduction of a labelling method that is simple for application to different

compostable materials, simple for use in the waste management system and should be as specific as possible to avoid counterfeit products were tested.

PROCESS

CONCLUSION

Printing on biodegradable materials is feasible both in laboratory and industrial scale

The main risk is verification of the separation of biodegradable bags marked with markers from nonbiodegradable due to the to small amounts of

printed material to be tested in real situation of waste management.

When using dyes for marking biodegradable materials/products it is feasible to use existing technology and materials that are already available on

the market. This way we can solve the identification problem of biodegradable plastics in the waste management system and make sure that

compostable plastics do not end up in the landfills but are properly disposed.

UV marker printing should be no more than 48 hours after extrusion process for better print quality.

CS 1A—Testing of markers for easy identification of biodegradable plastics in the waste stream

U. Kropf1, S. Gorenc2, P. Horvat3, A. Kržan3

1Centre of excellence Polymer Materials and Technologies PoliMaT, Tehnoloski park 24, 100 Ljubljana 2Plasta production and trade, Kamnje 41, 8232 Šentrupert 3National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana

IR DYES

IR dyes are an attractive option since the IR spectral range is less occupied

than the UV spectral range. No commercial IR dye was directly available.

An IR pigment (100 g in total) that was turned into dye which was modified

several times in order to achieve the most suitable texture and adhesive

properties to be applied on the selected plastic materials—Bio PE and PLA.

As printing substrate two bioplastic materials (bioPE and PLA) in form of a

40 μm thick film on a roll were used. Both materials were treated with

corona on the surface to achieve better printing results.

PRINTING and DETECTION

Laboratory IGT printing was used to simulate flexography.

Printing on paper Printing on plastics

NO problems Very thin film—extension and twisting

Bad adhesion of the dye—issue solved with

modification of the dye

Figure 1 From top: 1) paper with

normal dye 2) paper with IR dye 3) PLA with

IR dye 4) PLA with normal dye 5) PE with

normal dye 6) PE with IR dye (paper be-

hind)

Under visible light different materials printed with different dyes have the

same appearance. Trouble with adhesiveness can be observed in Figure 1.

With an IR detector normal black dye is invisible and the IR black dye is

visible as black. Detection is possible with an IR camera.

IR spectrum of the print without IR dye and with IR dye on paper and PLA

film

Figure 2 IR reflection spectrums of the

paper samples. Through the entire UV the

sample is black (very low reflection), VIS

and NIR if the dye does not contain IR

pigment. With the addition of the pigment

one can observe no changes in UV or VIS

but a significant difference in IR where the

reflection increases.

UV DYES

A commercially available UV dye was tested.

SELECTION OF THE MATERIALS and PRODUCTION OF FILMS

Two materials certified as biodegradable were selected:

Ecovio F FILM EXP (supplier BASF AG) and Prismabio 91319 (supplier

FIPLAST srl). The total quantity of material used for testing, was approx.

600 kg. The transformation of materials was made from LDPE MFI 2 to

biodegradable material – without problems – only correction was

reduction of temperature profile to 150 °C. Prior to processing it was very

important to dry materials (3 hours at 55 °C to 60 °C). Films used for

production of UV marked biodegradable bags were prepared by the

blown film extrusion process on a mono-layer KUHNE line:

PRINTING and DETECTION

Flexography UV pr int ing was

performed on Kleine 2+2 equipment.

For UV printing it is possible to use

solvent or water based printing inks.

For the purposes of this study (part of

detection with UV ink) we have

decided to use solvent based printing

ink Termosac Rivelatore UV 012465,

manufacturer Colorprint srl. Printing did

not cause any additional problems.

Figure 5: Left: Control of print during flexoprinting. Right: UV photo of the Ecovio bag printed with UV marker.

Type of extruder Φ70 mm with 30D

Balloon diameter Max. 1600 mm

Type of screw low temperature screw

Die head Φ 250 mm with GAP 1,2 mm

Capacity up to 260 kg/h

Winder 2x Kolb 1800 mm

Thickness 7 - 40 μm Figure 3: Blown film extrusion

Figure 4: Blown film extrusion

This project is immplemented through the Central Europe Programme co-financed by the ERDF

25


Three kinds of plastic bags (GP2, BP2, GP1) with different types

of masterbatches—exposition tests

INTRODUCTION

The case study concerned the testing of markers for biodegradable plastic products to improve the identification of biodegradable materials in the

municipal waste stream. A producer of biodegradable bags and a composting facility for biodegradable waste were involved. After selection of

commercially available markers, printing and identification tests were performed on plastic bags. The participants in the case study focused on the

development process of biodegradable plastic products with markers with the aim to verify viable solutions for future application. Cooperation between

the Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials on the one hand and the Institute of Low Temperature and Structural Research Polish Academy of Sciences

and the Faculty of Environmental Engineering of the Wrocław University of Technology on the other hand, allowed to verify ava ilable solutions on the

market and to prepare masterbatches containing different types of markers. With the selected markers the company Bioerg performed coloration of

granulate for the preparation of labeled bags (MaterBi with 10% masterbatches, final content of marker 1%).

PROCESS

CONCLUSION

The case study showed that these kinds of markers do not fit for manual selection of biodegradable bags in traditional waste streams. However they could be applied in full automated selection systems.

CS 1B—Testing of markers for easy identification of biodegradable plastics in the waste stream

M. Musioł, W. Sikorska, G. Adamus, M. Kowalczuk, J. Rydz, M. Sobota Polish Academy of Sciences, Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials 34. M. C. Sklodowska St., 41-800 Zabrze, Poland


In the next stage Bioerg produced labeled bags and delivered them to the

Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials for composting tests under laboratory scale.

The laboratory degradation test of labeled bags no. B-P2 was

performed in Micro-Oxymax respirometer (COLUMBUS INSTRUMENTS S/N 110315), to

see the behaviour of the bags in laboratory compost. During the

incubation, the samples gradually disintegrated, however the particles were still able to

emit light. This is an important finding in case this kind of bags end up in regular waste

streams:

Respirometer Micro-Oxymax COLUMBUS INSTRUMENTS S/

N 110315 and composting tests at the laboratory scale

Testing of the segregation effectiveness was conducted at the Sorting and Composting Plant in

Zabrze. The labeled bags after UV irradiation were placed on the moving belt. After turning off the

lights, the waste stream was observed. The test showed that acceptable results could only be reached

under full dark room conditions, what is difficult to achieve in existing waste selection plants.

26


CONCLUSION

The experiences in the case studies showed that the joint R&D scheme is necessary to initiate a wide cooperation process between all partners in the biodegradable plastics value chain in Central Europe.

Additionally one of the critical success factors is the full cooperation of the staff of company.

Some cooperation initiatives highlighted new issues and framework conditions for successful production of biodegradable packaging, implementation of these kinds of packaging under market conditions and

selection and final composting of such packaging.

CS 2B—Systemic approach for sustainable production for bioplastics - Composting

M. Musioł, W. Sikorska, G. Adamus, M. Kowalczuk, J. Rydz, M. Sobota Polish Academy of Sciences, Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials 34. M. C. Sklodowska St., 41-800 Zabrze, Poland

INTRODUCTION

The international project PLASTiCE is devoted to the promotion of new

environmentally friendly and sustainable plastic solutions. The main goal of

this Project is elaboration a transnational roadmap for technology transfer

from science to biodegradable plastics industry based on a joint R&D

scheme. A roadmap for a transnational R&D scheme will allow companies

to enter much quicker into a technology transfer process in the future and to

relay on the expertise from a transnational team of researchers.

The communication present the results one of the case study 2B „Systemic

approach for sustainable production for bioplastics - Composting“, which

concerns mainly the selective organic waste collection and studies of the

biodegradation process of plastic packaging.

PROCESS

The idea behind the case study 2B is to set up a separate waste stream

process by way of delivering grocery shops and super markets

biodegradable waste bags (from Bioerg company) to select organic waste

at the source. The Społem chose two shops as a place for implementation

of this case study. Waste bins with the bags were installed near fruit and

vegetable departments. The super market staff disposed organic waste to

the bins. Waste was collected in the period 01.08 - 30.09.2012 with a

frequency of once a week. The total amount of collected waste was 1280

kg, this means an average of 640 kg of organic waste per month from two

stores. Next, the composting facility in Zabrze (A.S.A company) received

organic waste from the selected stores in order to perform composting

process.

The containers consisted approximately of 40% kitchen organic waste,

20% leaves, 20% branches and 20% grass. The conditions in container

were computer-controlled, which allowed to read the current temperature

of the process. [M. Musiol M; J. Rydz; W. Sikorska; P. Rychter; M.

Kowalczuk Pol. J. Chem. Tech. 2011, 13, 55]


Waste bins with biodegradable bags in Społem shops and schematic diagram of the organic recycling of

packaging materials

27


INTRODUCTION

Hygiene products are mostly single use/disposable products and are therefore contributing to large amounts of plastic waste. A short market research

identified compostable tampon applicator, biodegradable surgical tweezers, blisters, diapers for children and elderly and also pet products as possible

bioplastics applications. According to market demand we have selected to perform test production of biodegradable tampon applicators and single use

surgical tweezers.

PROCESS

MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS

The most important requirements for those products is their safety. A product that comes in contact with human body must not have any negative effects.

Within the EU tampons have to follow the European General Product Safety Directive 2001/95/EC on general product safety. The directive holds

manufacturers responsible for providing products that are safe to use. Article 2 of the directive sets requirements that need to be fulfilled for a product to

be recognized as safe (safe product). Technical and processing requirements: only few processing changes can be made.

SELECTION OF THE CS APPLICATIONS AND TEST PRODUCTIONS

Based on the market demand, material properties and molding requirements we have selected the following two applications: tampon applicator and

surgical tweezers.

CONCLUSION

The production of biodegradable tampon applicators and biodegradable tweezers was not fully successful, however is developed further. It is time

consuming to find the right material for production of specific hygiene/medical device products and the process must be taken case by case. Because

bioplastics have different processing properties some adjustments in the production process are necessary (time, pressure, molds, etc.).

With adjustments processing of bioplastics is possible with conventional equipment. Introduction of bioplastics into production of hygiene products is time

consuming but feasible.

CS 3—Sustainable plastic materials in hygiene products

A. Zabret1, U. Kropf2, P. Horvat3, A. Kržan3,

1 Tosama, Vir, Šaranovičeva cesta 35, 1230 Domžale, Slovenia 2 Centre of excellence Polymer Materials and Technologies PoliMat, Tehnoloski park 24, 100 Ljubljana, Slovenia 3 National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

TAMPON APPLICATORS

Tampon applicator is a simple tool for inserting a tampon into the human

body. A tampon applicator consists of two tubes, one bigger and one

smaller and is presented in the picture below. At the moment tampon

applicators are made from PE. The current market demand for tampons in

the EU is approximately 15-20 billion tampons per year.

TEST PRODUCTION OF TAMPON APPLICATORS

Tampon applicators are produced by injection molding. Technical

requirements are given according to processing limitations of the existing

production technique.

6 materials were tested: 3 starch based materials and 3 PHA materials.

An acceptable

prototype on which

artificial ageing is

currently carried out.


SIMULATED COMPOSTING

Project partner 11 established a method for simulated composting of plastic materials described according to the standard EN 14806 “Packaging -

Preliminary evaluation of the disintegration of packaging materials under simulated composting conditions in a laboratory scale test.

Figure: Left: Glass reactors for determination of disintegration (one is full, three are empty – photo taken in the

middle of the preparation) Reactors are placed into large thermostatic chamber kept at 58 oC ± 2 oC. Total

capacity of the box is up to 15 reactors (more if smaller reactors are used). The box itself was custom made for

the intention of determination of disintegration within the PLASTiCE project. Right: Thermostatic chamber for

determination of disintegration of plastic materials in controlled laboratory conditions.

SURGICAL TWEEZERS

Tweezers are a useful and simple tool, used in medicine. We decided to

produce tweezers from a PHA-based material because they are resistant

to higher temperatures and would likely be suitable for steam sterilization.

TEST PRODUCTION OF TWEEZERS

Tweezers are produced with injection

molding. One injection cycle produces

16 tweezers and each cycle uses cca.

100 g of the material although the mass

of each tweezer is only 4.7 g; 25g of

the material goes for a massive sprue.

Processing temperature of PHA was

lower than the temperature for conven-

tional plastics. Also the overpressure at

the end of the extruder was lower (5X)

and the pressure profile in the extruder

is lower. The obtained tweezers were

well formed and had acceptable

performance.

ADDITIONAL PROCESSING OF THE TWEEZERS

Because tweezers used in medical applications need to be sterile we

tested how the water steam sterilization influences the products. Steam

sterilization negatively affected closing and torsion of the forceps and the

brittleness of the material increased. Other methods of sterilization might

be better suited for this material.

28


INTRODUCTION

This case study concerned the preparation of compostable material suitable for processing by blistering technology possessing the required mechanical

properties and acceptable price. The aim was to develop fully compostable packaging for eggs, serving as an example of successful application for

other companies that are not sure about benefits of these kind of applications.

CS 4 & 5— Production og packaging for eggs made from BDPs

Polymer Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (Slovakia)

University of Technology in Bratislava,(Slovakia)

PROCESS

The material made from biodegradable plastics was adjusted on laboratory scale for packaging for eggs, especially regarding ultimate properties, price and processing parameters. Pellets made from a new biodegradable blend (based on PLA and PHB) was prepared in four slightly different alternatives mainly differing in processing details, with the aim to various processing parameters to be able to adjust the blend for fixed conditions in the pilot experiment.

Twin-screw extruder for pellets preparation

Product prototypes

The four compositions were tested under laboratory conditions regarding

foil extrusion and consequent vacuum thermoforming. All compositions

showed good processability both in extrusion and in thermoforming of

6-pack egg packaging, similar to reference materials, namely polystyrene

(used nowadays) and polylactic acid (standard biodegradable material

supposed to be easily processed).

In the meanwhile an external company made a thorough economic

analysis (feasibility) of the production for three different kinds of packaging.

Thermoforming process study

CONCLUSIONS

Biodegradable material suitable for vacuum thermoforming was tested and

packaging for eggs has been produced under laboratory conditions. This

case study confirmed that industry and the research sector can overcome

specific challenges in the production process and that it is possible to

develop new biodegradable blends in a relative short period of time.


29


CS 6A—Introduction of biodegradable plastics into drinking straw production

P. Horvat1, A. Kržan1, U. Kropf2, M. Erzar3

1National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana 2Centre of excellence Polymer Materials and Technologies PoliMaT, Tehnoloski park 24, 100 Ljubljana

3 Pepiplast d.o.o., Cesta goriške fronte 46, 5290 Šempeter pri Gorici

INTRODUCTION

Drinking straws are disposable single-use products with a long history and although straws are small they result in a substantial amount of plastic waste

that is often dispersed in nature. Biodegradable plastic straws offer the same convenience as classic drinking straws with no or limited downside of the

plastic waste issue. With this CS we could ease the transition of drinking straw production from conventional materials to bioplastics.

PROCESS

CONCLUSION

From food contact testing results we can conclude that bioplastics can be used for food contact, important is that we take into consideration actual use

conditions and do not use all materials for all purposes.

Although the material was intended for production of straws some processing adjustments e.g. temperature, pressure, screw rotation, production speed,

etc. were necessary. Because production of straws from biodegradable materials is already well established elsewhere the producer of the material

could offer us the right material.

The implementation of biodegradable plastics into straw production was fast and simple because we had a partner with long history of production of

biodegradable straws. The company is also producing their own equipment for production of straws and knows how the machines are working and their

wealth of experiences was also one of the main reasons why this case study was concluded so quick.

We conclude that there is a significant benefit when the operator has long time experiences with production of similar or the same products, knows the equipment and if we have the material intended for exactly this product.

The main advantage is the existence of the material intended for specific use, which allowed CS 6A to proceed with relative ease.

FOOD CONTACT TESTING

Drinking straws are a product that is intended to come in contact with

foodstuff. Due to lack of information regarding overall migration from

bioplastics we tested several products made of bioplastics to see if they

are suitable for use in food contact applications.

We analyzed the overall migration of non-volatile substances from

bioplastic items such as packaging and utensils into aqueous food

simulants. The tested samples were commercially available products made

of polylactide (PLA) and thermoplastic starch (TPS). For all 7 tested items

and/or materials it can be expected that they may come in contact with

foodstuffs. Testing was performed according to the standard EN 1186 in a

laboratory accredited according to EN ISO/IEC 17025. Test methods for

overall migration into aqueous food simulants a) by article filling, b) by

total immersion, and c) by cell were used. The materials were exposed to

aqueous solutions simulating actual use conditions and up to three

migration cycles were performed. FT-IR spectroscopy was used for sample

characterization and for identification of migrated substances. Total

migration was quantified using the evaporation method.

Figure 1: Migration cell,

dismantled (left) and during the migration (right)

The migration of non-volatile substances from bioplastics was determined

by evaporation method. Overall migrations from all PLA samples and most

TPS samples was below the level of detection, only one overall migration

from TPS foil was above the legal limit but the product was not intended to

come in contact with foodstuff (bags).

PRODUCTION OF STRAWS

Conventional straws are made from PP and the plan was to replace PP

with a bio-based and biodegradable material which was already

prepared to be used for production of this specific product. The used

material was PLA based blend MaterBi CE01B.

In the conventional production the set-up of the system was well optimized

and the system was very stable. This is crucial since a very high throughput

(900 pcs/min) must be reached in order to have a sustainable production.

When switching to the bioplastics optimizing the new set-up of the system

was quite complicated. A number of times the system collapsed only one

step before it was set up. After suitable conditions were found the system

was stable.

The production temperatures were lower than for PP. The biggest

difference when comparing PP straws and straws made from bioplastics is

in mass (biodegradable is approx. 50 % heavier) but this could still be

improved. We also tested production of straws with hinges (knees) and

observed no problems.

Figure 2: Introduction of melt through the

cooling system and into the haul-off.

Figure 3: Left: The production line from the extruder to the haul-off (first

part) and the rotary cutter (second part) Middle: System for collection of

straws, Right: PepiPlast/PLASTiCE biodegradable straws


30


The company involved in the Case Study produces polypropylene twines for agricultural use and joined the Case Study with the intention to substitute the

polyolefin used for production with a biodegradable polymer.

Material change over time for twine production

Selection of the polymer

All materials taken into account as potential candidates were thoroughly characterized using a range of techniques (DSC, DMTA, TGA, TGA-MS, XRD,

SEM, FTIR, mechanical properties etc.), in order to allow final selection of the materials to be processed at the company’s p lant. Only two potential

candidates were selected for twine production, based on proven soil biodegradability and commercial availability:

Polyester (A)

Polyester Blend (B)

Twine processing trials and characterisation of the product

After some trials with Polymer A at the factory’s production line, where

problems with polymer film stretching after extrusion were experienced,

laboratory trials on a small-size extrusion machine (fig. 1) were carried out.

The results using Polymer A were encouraging and a demonstration twine

was produced (fig. 2). Mechanical properties of the thread were in the

range expected for the twine application.

Polyester B didn’t provide good results.

CONCLUSION

Important points to be taken into consideration for potential substitution of the presently used polyolefins with biodegradable polymers for twine

production are:

Biodegradability in soil is a fundamental requirement

The material must stand the applied high draw ratio after the extrusion

The twine mechanical properties (strenght) must comply with application requirement

Price of new polymer is a crucial factor

CS 6B—Introduction of biodegradable materials into production of twines for agriculture M. Scandola, I. Voevodina

University of Bologna, Chemistry Department “G. Ciamician”, Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy


Advantages of twines from biodegradable polymers for

agricultural applications:

Ploughing-in of soil-biodegradable twines after use instead of

collecting them from the field and disposing as waste

Improving the quality of the soil by using twines with added

fertilizers to be released in soil in a controlled manner

Main parameters considered in selection of biodegradable polymers for

their use in twine production:

biodegradation in soil

appropriate mechanical properties

acceptable price

Steps of the Case study:

analysis and selection of biodegradable polymers available in the

market

characterization of physico-chemical properties of selected

polymers

twine processing trials

characterization of the product

Simplified scheme of production line

for twines at the company site

Figure 1 Figure 2

32

Plastics are a fellow traveller of modern life with whom we have an ambivalent relationship:

we love the convenience of plastics but hate them for polluting our environment. Newly

developed "bioplastics" are biodegradable or made from renewable resources, to make

use of plastics more sustainable. PLASTiCE promotes a joint research scheme that exposes

producers to the possibilities of the new plastics while also creating a roadmap for actions

that will lead to commercialization of new types of plastics.

Better plastics produce less waste

www.plastice.org

a prosperous future for environmentally biodegradable plastics in central europe

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