Paperboard with biodegradable barrier

Iggesund Paperboard announces that Invercote can now be supplied with a barrier that is biodegradable and is also made from a renewable source. Uses include food packaging and drinking cups. Iggesund has been performing trials using bioplastics as a barrier material.

Vegetal mineral water, une société champardennaise, va lancer cet été la première bouteille d’eau en bioplastique recyclable et intégralement compostable, issue de végétaux non transgéniques.

Une toute nouvelle génération de bouteilles d’eau sera produite d’ici l’été 2009. Ces bouteilles seront fabriquées en bioplastique issu de matières végétales garanties sans OGM. Elles ont été conçues avec le concours de l’Ecole supérieure d’ingénieurs en emballage et conditionnement de Reims (ESIEC). Le corps de la bouteille est élaboré à partir de maïs et le bouchon lui est issu de la fécule de pomme de terre. L’étiquette quand à elle utilise une colle végétale. Ces matériaux naturels présentent de nombreux intérêts écologiques. Ce bioplastique est totalement compostable et se dégrade en 3 mois seulement après traitement spécifique. De plus il limite fortement les interactions entre la nature du récipient et la pureté de l’eau. Les plastiques issus du pétrole présentent en effet une écotoxicité susceptible de modifier les propriétés naturelles de l’eau.

La société “Vegetal & Mineral Water” se chargera de la fabrication de ces bouteilles d’eau en bioplastique. Une usine d’embouteillage est actuellement en construction dans la ville thermale de Bourbonne-les-Bains en Haute-Marne. L’entreprise envisage une production annuelle de 3 millions de bouteilles d’ici 2012 et 5 millions en 2014. Une filière de recyclage spécifique sera également mise en place pour traiter au mieux ce nouveau matériau.

http://plastiques-caoutchoucs.com/Nouvel-article,763

Une Formule3 en carottes, patates et soja!

Peut-on créer une voiture de course “verte”? Oui, nous répond l’université de Warwick. Son Warwick Innovative Manufacturing Research Center a ainsi conçu une formule 3, baptisée “WorldFirstRacing”. De nombreux équipementiers ont apporté leur soutien et leurs produits.

Publication / Science Direct / Polymer Degradation and Stability / Preparation and thermal characterisation of poly(lactic acid) nanocomposites prepared from organoclays based on an amphoteric surfactant

Preparation and thermal characterisation of poly(lactic acid) nanocomposites prepared from organoclays based on an amphoteric surfactant
Polymer Degradation and Stability
Volume 94, Issue 5, May 2009, Pages 868-872

Publication / Science Direct / Polymer Degradation and Stability / Effect of clay organomodifiers on degradation of polyhydroxyalkanoates

Effect of clay organomodifiers on degradation of polyhydroxyalkanoates
Polymer Degradation and Stability
Volume 94, Issue 5, May 2009, Pages 789-796
Perrine Bordes, Elodie Hablot, Eric Pollet, Luc Avérous

Abstract

Ammonium surfactants are commonly used as clay organomodifiers in nanocomposites. Their effect on the thermal- and thermo-mechanical degradation of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) is reported. Two poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) grades were tested and compared to polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). Thermal stabilities were determined from thermogravimetric data and determination of molecular weight changes after processing was performed. The data revealed that all surfactants enhance the PHBV degradation. The results also highlight the preponderant effect of the initial Mw rather than the HV content on the thermal stability. The thermo-mechanical study confirmed the role of surfactants and their different behaviour towards PHBV degradation. This study demonstrates that all surfactants enhance the PHA degradation since their decomposition products most likely act as catalytic agents.

Keywords: Ammonium surfactants; Biopolymers; Polyhydroxyalkanoates; Renewable resources; Thermal degradation

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6TXS-4VJSRX9-3&_user=10&_coverDate=05%2F31%2F2009&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=41644fd24ba0dafb6fb83337883021ba

Bioplastic24 / brand-new market report / More than 100 bioplastics.

A brand-new market report, published by The German Institute for Recycling and CTC Clean Tech Consulting GmbH, provides precise information on technical parameters and processing characteristics of globally available biodegradable plastics and plastics made from renewable resources.

More than 100 polymers, submitted by more than 40 manufacturers have been included in the report. In addition to information provided by manufacturers, the report provides independent data for a number of polymers. The data was derived from material tests carried out by the Institute for Recycling according to DIN-standards.

Publication / ACS / Biomacromolecules / Effect of Phase Structure on Enzymatic Degradation in Poly(l-lactide)/Atactic Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) Blends with Different Miscibility

Effect of Phase Structure on Enzymatic Degradation in Poly(l-lactide)/Atactic Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) Blends with Different Miscibility
Yoshihiro Kikkawa, Takayuki Suzuki, Masatoshi Kanesato, Yoshiharu Doi and Hideki Abe
Biomacromolecules, 2009, 10 (4), pp 1013–1018

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/bm900117j

Publication / ACS / biomacromolecules / Development of Photoreactive Degradable Branched Polyesters with High Thermal and Mechanical Properties

Development of Photoreactive Degradable Branched Polyesters with High Thermal and Mechanical Properties
Tran Hang Thi, Michiya Matsusaki, and Mitsuru Akashi
Biomacromolecules, 2009, 10 (4), pp 766–772

Publication / ACS / biomacromolecules / Recent Developments in the Area of Biological Polyesters

Recent Developments in the Area of Biological Polyesters
Biomacromolecules, 2009, 10 (4), p 659
Ann-Christine Albertsson

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/bm9002333

Publication / ACS / Macromolecules / Blending Effects on Polymorphic Crystallization of Poly(l-lactide)

Blending Effects on Polymorphic Crystallization of Poly(l-lactide)
Pengju Pan, Zhichao Liang, Bo Zhu, Tungalag Dong, and Yoshio Inoue

Publication / Science Direct / Polymer / Miscibility and crystallization of biodegradable poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate)/poly(vinyl phenol) blends

Polymer
Volume 50, Issue 10, 8 May 2009, Pages 2328-2333
Fang Yanga, Zhaobin and Wantai Yanga

Arkema Renewables

Arkema’s Renewable range, the recently created Bioplastics Council and some of the environmental challenges faced by the plastics industry.

Very interesting
http://www.mundomaterial.eu/?p=1154&language=en