Two new bio based project in biobased materials

Idemitsu is currently trying to make plastics based on non food crops while TOTAL has recently launched a new plant for Polyolefins based on methanol !

• Idemitsu http://biopol.free.fr/?p=255
• TOTAL http://www.total.com/en/press/press_releases/pr-2008/081001-feluy-plastics-production-unit_17021.htm

Matériaux issus de la biomasse de 2ème génération

PLA Production to be established in Germany

Ford expands use of biomaterials in production to reduce need for foreign oil

BY SARAH A. WEBSTER • FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER • October 10, 2008

Deep inside the laboratories of Ford Motor Co.’s research and innovation center, one lab feels a lot more like a witch’s pantry than a place for developing the green cars and trucks of the future.

http://www.freep.com/article/20081010/BUSINESS01/810100339/1002/RSS02

Book: Progress in Biopolymer Research

Editors: Pablo C. Sánchez
Index

Binding: Hardcover
Pub. Date: 2007
ISBN: 1-60021-984-5
Status: AV

L’usine nouvelle / Daniel-Eric Marchand, société Unigrains / paroles d’experts

Daniel-Eric Marchand, société Unigrains15/10/2008

“On en parle beaucoup moins, mais le grand débouché de la biomasse, outre les biocarburants, sont les bioplastiques ?
Oui, les bioplastiques et toute la chimie du carbone à partir de la biomasse ont beaucoup d’avenir. La chimie des sucres en C5,ou C6, c’est tout simplement de la chimie du carbone. C’est finalement comme la chimie du pétrole. A partir de la chimie du glucose d’origine végétal, il est possible de produire des molécules de base, qui transformées ou polymérisées serviront in fine à produire des intermédiaires pour l’industrie chimique, dont des bioplastiques .On sait produire aujourd’hui, par exemple de l’acide lactique par fermentation du glucose, qui, polymérisé, donne du PLA (acide polylactique), bioplastique permettant la fabrication de barquettes pour l’agro-alimentaire.  De très nombreuses applications sont envisageables et cette nouvelle chimie prendra beaucoup d’essor dans les années qui viennent.”

Polylactic acid (PLA): properties, market and perspectives (Bio-Polym Blog)

very interesting article

Tailoring new materials within a perspective of eco-design or sustainable development is a philosophy that is applied to more and more materials. It is the reason why material components such as biodegradable polymers can be considered as ‘interesting’ alternatives.

“…It has a reasonable price and some remarkable properties to fulfill different applications. For instance, the PLA production capacity of Cargill (USA) or NatureWorks in 2007 was 140 kT per year at 2–5 Euros per kg. “

Polylactic acid (PLA): properties, market and perspectives « Bio-Polym Blog

World Lactic Acid Market to Reach 259 Thousand Metric Tons by 2012 / bioplastics24.com

Driven by the propitious business climate in the cosmetics, and biodegradable plastics end-use industries, the world market for lactic acid is projected to reach 259 thousand metric tons by the year 2012. Development of new technologies, emergence of new end-use applications, and evolution of new markets are all expected to offer opportunities for future growth.

Les bioplastiques : entre engouement et confusion (PakBec)

Très intéressant, lire l’article en pdf !!!

Les bioplastiques : entre engouement et confusion

Dans un contexte international marqué par une diminution des ressources fossiles et une augmentation du prix du pétrole, la mise au point de matériaux fabriqués à partir de ressources renouvelables tels que les bioplastiques représente un enjeu majeur du développement durable.

PakBec: Les bioplastiques : entre engouement et confusion

Canon, Toray Develop Bio-Based Plastic With World’s Highest Level Of Flame Retardance For Use In Multifunction Office Systems

Bio-polymers need better heat resistance in order to enlarge their area of applicability. For instance other polyesters that biopolymers are targetting have very good resistance to temperature (PET, PBT when compared to PP). This is a very interesting point then !

Switchgrass: A Bioplastic Factory

In the past, cheap oil spurred the development of petroleum-based consumer products such as plastics. Today high oil prices are driving research and development away from fossil fuel-based processes to those using renewable feedstocks. The markets for these new bioproducts are growing and companies such as Massachusetts-based Metabolix Inc. are cashing in by engineering bioenergy crops that also serve as factories for bioplastics.

By Jessica Ebert

13th International IUPAC Conference on Polymers and Organic Chemistry (POC ‘09)

Scientific program:

(…)

• Biopolymers (or Biologically relevant polymers or Uses and Synthesis of Biopolymers)
• Degradable polymers

http://wskene.startlogic.com/Scientific%20program.htm

Toyota Plans to Replace 20% of Plastics with Bioplastics

Toyota Motor Corp plans to replace 20% (in mass) of plastics used for its automobiles with bioplastics by 2015.

The company made this announcement in a lecture titled “Expectations for Biomass-plastics from the Perspective of Customers” delivered at BioJapan 2008, which took place at Pacifico Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan from Oct 15 to 17, 2008.

Publications / Macromolecules / Polymers from Renewable Resources: A Challenge for the Future of Macromolecular Materials

Alessandro Gandini†

http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/mamobx/asap/abs/ma801735u.html
CICECO and Chemistry Department, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
Received July 30, 2008
Revised Manuscript Received September 4, 2008

Braskem announces the production and certification of the first polypropylene from a 100% renewable source

Development of the green PP of renewable origin is an unprecedented feat by Braskem, which was also the pioneer in launching the green polyethylene.

Cereplast to Supply Bioplastic Resin for WNA’s Earth Sense™ Product Line

Merquinsa is pleased to announce the launch of new Bio TPU grades

Merquinsa is pleased to announce the launch of new Bio TPU grades at FAKUMA 2008 (International trade fair for plastics processing, on 14-18 October at Friedrichshafen, Germany). The new Pearlthane® ECO thermoplastic polyurethane grades of 85A, 90A, 95A, 98 shore A, and 60 shore D hardness complete the range of Bio TPU for “Green” Injection Moulding elastomeric applications recently launched at K2007.

Publication / Cellulose nanocrystals the next big nano-thing?

Instrumentation, Metrology, and Standards for Nanomanufacturing II. Edited by Postek, Michael T.; Allgair, John A. Proceedings of the SPIE, Volume 7042, pp. 70420D-70420D-11 (2008).

New polyhydroxyalkanoates materials

New polyhydroxyalkanoates materials

The American firm Mirel, a joint venture of Metabolix Inc. and Archer Daniels Midlands (ADM) produces and commercializes Mirel bioplastics. These high performance materials are polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) made from renewable resources such as corn sugar using a fully biological fermentation process. They are completely biodegradable and exhibit high toughness as well as high durability and heat and moisture resistance. Typical applications are packaging such as compostable bags, consumer goods such as cosmetics and gift cards, electronics, agriculture and horticulture, and also marine and water applications.

See also
http://www.metabolix.com/natures%20plastic/properties.html
http://www.metabolix.com/publications/pressreleases.html

Bioplastic conference 3_4 / 12 / 2008

http://www.bioplasticsconference.com/p/1640

Voir le programme, certaines présentations sont très intéressantes comme les dernières avancées des additifs de Sukano, une présentation sur le marché des bioplastiques Français et les travaux d’Arkema pour la réalisation de fibres !