MALAYSIA’S BIOPLASTICS TRANSFORMATION - SIRIM Study/SIRIM Bioplastic... · Malaysia’s...

MALAYSIA’S BIOPLASTICS TRANSFORMATIONHow bioplastics produced from palm oil by-products could change the country’s plastic industry.

Copyright © 2015 SIRIM Berhad

AbstractGrowing market demand for green products has placed pressure on manufacturers and suppliers to find alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. Plastics suppliers need to secure an abundant and reliable biomass source if they are to develop a sustainable bioplastics business model. Malaysia’s palm oil industry has the potential to become that source of biomass.

SIRIM’s innovative process for producing useful bioplastics from crude palm kernel oil (CPKO) and palm oil mill effluent (POME) provides manufacturers and suppliers with an efficient, scalable and environmentally-friendly technology for bioplastics manufacturing in Malaysia. The materials have many possible uses in the manufacture of automotive components, hard-line consumer goods, product packaging and agricultural goods.

The SIRIM team

• Dato’ Dr Zainal Abidin Mohd Yusof

• Dr Hamdan Ya

• Mohd Ishak Yusof

MIT team leader

• Prof Dr Cho Kyun Rha

UPM team leader

• Prof Dr Mohd Ali Hassan

USM team leader

• Prof Dr K Sudesh Kumar

Copy-


Malaysia’s Bioplastics Transformation | SIRIM

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The green future of plasticDuring the 20th century, the advent of synthetic plastics transformed manufacturing as the world knew it. Versatile new materials like cellulose and polystyrene were originally seen as a blessing for consumers everywhere. Bakelite, the first thermoset plastic, was hailed in Time magazine as the “material of a thousand purposes.”1 In the wake of the Second World War, the National Plastics Exposition held in New York City in 1946 announced “a great industry that has come of age.”2

Today, plastic-based products clutter our lives, from automobile interiors to household appliances and packaging. But the worldwide boom in plastics has been a curse as well as a blessing. The truth is that the vast range of plastic materials used in every industry is produced from petroleum: a non-renewable fossil fuel with a huge carbon footprint. The widespread consumption of petroleum-based plastics has proven to be a significant source of the carbon emissions that cause global climate change.

As consumers have become more environmentally aware, they have turned towards more eco-friendly products, such as plastics derived from non-petroleum biomass, called bioplastics or biobased polymers. In Malaysia, such promising bioplastics include SIRIM’s polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) derived from palm oil by-products.

The shift towards sustainable products is being driven at the highest policy levels. Since 2008, an increasing number of national strategies and policies for the development of a biobased economy have emerged in the EU, US, Canada, Sweden, Australia, Malaysia and many other countries. These strategies and policies call for sustainable and eco-efficient transformation of biological resources into food, energy or other industrial products,3 instead of relying on petroleum-based products. The 2012 EU strategy, “Innovating for Sustainable Growth: A Bioeconomy for Europe” charts a path away from petroleum-based resources, in line with the EU 2020 climate-related goals. The US Government already requires its agencies to establish procurement programmes favouring biobased products. For its part, Malaysia has launched the Bioeconomy Transformation Programme (BTP) to promote a knowledge-based bioeconomy and is preparing to implement the Government Green Procurement policy. This will promote the procurement of environmentally-friendly products in government agencies and ministries and drive the adoption of bio-based products in the private sector.

Sustainable materials will also be crucial for meeting current and future regulatory requirements in many markets. For instance, the EU End of Life Vehicle Directive requires Reuse and Recycling content rates of 85% in passenger vehicles and light commercial vehicles from 1 January 2015 onwards. As a result, many automotive manufacturers are looking at innovative ways to make use of bioplastics and other biobased materials in their products.

SIRIM’s bioplastics have arrived at a time when consumer interest in green products is growing. A 2014 Nielsen study found that more than half (55%) of consumers around the world would pay extra for products and services with positive social and environmental impact.4 Biobased products are set to capture an increasingly large share of the consumer market. In the US, the renewable chemicals sector has the potential to grow to USD3 billion per year with capital investment of USD6 billion by 2022.5 On a global scale, the bioplastics market could be worth as much as USD6 billion by 2015 and USD12.5 billion by 2025.6

SIRIM’s bioplastics have arrived at a time when consumer interest in

green products is growing.

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While bioplastics have the potential to become green substitutes for many environmentally harmful conventional plastics, being a biobased material does not automatically guarantee that it is biodegradable or even environmentally friendly.

Bioplastics may be partially or fully biodegradable, depending on their composition (See Table 1 and Table 2). Similarly, bioplastics may serve as non-toxic replacements for potentially harmful conventional plastics, but again, being a bioplastic is no guarantee of non-toxicity. For instance, while the molecules that make up starch-based and cellulose-based polymers are non-toxic, manufacturers also need to make sure that any additives used in the bioplastics do not pose health threats.

The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) defines any biobased material as an organic material in which carbon is derived from a renewable resource via biological processes.7 This means that the carbon content comes from atmospheric CO2 that was recently fixed via photosynthesis instead of originating from fossil fuels. Being biobased could imply a lower carbon footprint, but to be certain of a bioplastic product’s environmental impact, a life-cycle assessment (LCA) is used to determine the product’s environmental effects through all the stages of its lifetime.

The biomass used for bioplastic feedstock may also affect the material’s environmental and social impact. While first-generation bioplastics can be derived from sugar, starch, oil or natural rubber, other types of bioplastic have been developed based on lignocellulose (from wood and short-rotation coppice) as well as other biobased feedstock.

Biodegradable Not Biodegradable

Biobased Bioplastic Bioplastic

Non-Biobased Bioplastic Not Bioplastic

Biodegradable/compostable

Not biodegradable or compostable

High biobased content

PHAPLATPS

Bio-PEPA 11

Medium biobased content

AAC/PLA blendsAAC/Starch blends

Conventional plastic/bioplastic blendsBio-PETPA 6, 10PTT

Fossil AAC, PBAT, PBSConventional plastics

Table 1 Bioplastics by definition

Table 2 Bioplastics by life cycle

Biobased building blocks


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Food-based bioplastics and biofuels have been perceived as competing with food usage for land and food crops, even though the actual connection between non-food usage of these crops and food prices on world markets remains unproven.8 Manufacturers may prefer to use non-food biomass feedstock in order to avoid the complications of fluctuating food prices. Newer materials derived from agricultural by-products such as SIRIM’s bioplastics offer an ideal solution to this

dilemma. By utilising untapped resources in existing industries (see Table 3), SIRIM’s PHA family of bioplastics also meet an important green criterion: they are biodegradable under many different conditions. These conditions include aerobic biodegradation (degradation of bioplastic when oxygen is present), anaerobic biodegradation (degradation of bioplastic in the absence of oxygen) and marine biodegradation (aerobic degradation of bioplastic by marine microorganisms).

Table 3 Pros and cons for different feedstock options. Source: nova-Institute

First generation (sugar, starch, oil, natural rubber)

Second generation (lignocellulose - wood and short rotation coppice)

By-products from agriculture and forestry

Yield per hectare in terms of fermentable sugar equivalents

Broad range, but more or less on the same levelIf the by-products have no markets yet, this means an extra yield

Green House Gas emissions for biomass-derived biobased plastics (cradle to factory gate)

Broad range, but more or less on the same level

Very low, because of themethodology of LCA

Technical maturity Very high Still a lot to doDepending on the content of the by-product

Economically competitive

Not yet (except for specific properties)

Not yet Not yet, but close

Secure supply with raw materials at a reasonable price

Competing for food, animal feed and bioenergy

Competition with bioenergy and traditional industrial energy use

Still a huge potential for inefficiently used by-products, or even those not used at all

Direct competition with food and feed Yes No No

Indirect competition to food and feed Yes – on land use No

Emergency reserve for food and feed Yes No No

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Marrying process and industrySIRIM’s bioplastics stand out as particularly environmentally-friendly materials for manufacturers because the process makes good use of the by-products of Malaysia’s highly productive palm oil industry. Today’s crude palm oil (CPO) extraction process generates by-products such as crude palm kernel oil (CPKO), palm oil mill effluent (POME), as well as solid biomass comprised of empty fruit bunches (EFB), mesocarp fibres (MF), palm kernel shells (PKS), fronds and trunks. In 2010, Malaysia’s palm oil mills produced about 60 million tonnes of POME and 80 million dry tonnes of solid biomass, and these volumes could reach 70-110 million tonnes and 100 million dry tonnes respectively by 2020.9

The disposal of POME, a waste liquid that has 100 times the oxygen-depleting potential of domestic sewage, is a major concern for the industry. Studies have shown that disposal of untreated POME can have serious environmental effects on both water and soil.10 Most palm oil mills in Malaysia need to use pond systems for treatment of the waste. Now, thanks to

Malaysia’s bioeconomy plans, palm oil industry by-products such as solid biomass and POME are being seen not as problems, but as opportunities for biobased technologies such as biomass-based bioenergy, biogas from methane capture of POME, and of course, SIRIM’s bioplastics.

As Malaysia’s premier industrial research and standards development organisation, SIRIM has spent many years researching an innovative bioplastics synthesis and production process for various options of PHA from two by-products of palm oil production: CPKO and POME. Funded by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) and drawing upon the biotechnology know-how of partners in world-renowned academic institutions, the SIRIM bioplastic project was aimed at finding a way to synthesise bioplastic from palm oil as an alternative to non-biodegradable petroleum-based plastic.

SIRIM led the first phase of research and development into the PHA biosynthesis process with assistance from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). MIT successfully cloned the PHA biosynthesis genes. Meanwhile, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) contributed to the project by developing a bacterium strain to produce PHA from CPKO, along with an optimised process for producing the strain. Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) was successful in converting POME into organic acid, which was then


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fermented to produce polyhydroxybutyrate-valerate (PHBV), a useful type of PHA.

Starting from an optimised bioprocess for creating these materials through fermentation in bioreactors, SIRIM’s engineers then scaled up the project to a PHA Bioplastics Pilot Plant and developed an automated bioprocess control method to ensure efficiency and safety. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Programmed Logic Control (PLC) systems were developed to monitor and control the fermentation and recovery process from beginning to end. The bioplastic plant is designed to be linked to a POME waste treatment system to remediate the effluent, making it an important green technology for the downstream portion of the palm oil industry.

The SIRIM bioplastic project was aimed at finding a way to synthesise

bioplastic from palm oil as an alternative to non-biodegradable

petroleum-based plastic.

Standards and certifications for bioplastics

Across the world, industry organisations have created certifications and standards to ensure that the various kinds of bioplastic are correctly specified, utilised and disposed of. ASTM International has developed specific testing guides, methodologies and specifications dealing with end-of-life for plastics, including ASTM D6400 – Compostability of Plastics and ASTM D6868 – Compostability of Plastic Coating on Renewable Substrates. The Biodegradable Product Institute (BPI) offers a third-party peer review process for certification of compostability in North America.11

Certification in Europe uses EN 13432 – Packaging – Requirements for Packaging Recoverable Through Composting and Biodegradation – Test Scheme and Evaluation Criteria for the Final Acceptance of Packaging with a similar testing specification to ASTM D6400 and ASTM D6868. Vinçotte, headquartered in Belgium, has developed the OK compost certification programme, while in Japan, certification for biodegradable products is managed by the Japanese BioPlastics Association (JBPA).12

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has established ISO 17088 – Specifications for Compostable Plastics as a global standard specification for biodegradability under controlled composting conditions.13

SIRIM’s bioplastics stand out as particularly environmentally-friendly materials for manufacturers because the process makes good use of the by-

products of Malaysia’s highly productive palm oil industry.

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Green partners

Optimisation of PHA production:

MIT

The Department of Biology, MIT performed the analysis to determine the optimal levels of acetate, propionate, and butyrate for cell growth and PHA production by Ralstonia eutropha H16. Each of these acids had an impact on cell growth and PHA production: Butyrate was the preferred acid for robust cell growth and high PHA production. Meanwhile, the proportion of propionate initially present in the growth medium determined the 3-hydroyvalerate content in the resulting PHA. Finally, the proportion of acetate dramatically affected the final pH of the growth medium.14

The MIT study constructed a model using data that predicted the effects of these acids, individually and in combination, on cell dry weight (CDW), PHA content (% CDW), PHA production, 3HV in the polymer, and final culture pH. When the proportion of butyrate was increased, cell growth and PHA production improved approximately 1.5-fold over initial conditions. By optimising the phosphate buffer content in a medium containing higher amounts of butyrate, it was possible to improve cell growth and PHA production by more than fourfold. The end result was that the validated organic acid mixture analysis model could be used to optimise R. eutropha culture conditions to meet targets for PHA production and/or polymer HV content. The MIT study thus enabled more PHA to be produced from a modified growth medium made from treated industrial waste such as POME.15

Cloning the PHA synthase gene:

USM

The Ecobiomaterial Research Laboratory, School of Biological Sciences, USM successfully evaluated a locally isolated strain of the Cupriavidus bacterium from the Malaysian environment for its ability to synthesize PHA and subsequently cloned its synthase gene. The isolate was denoted as Chromobacterium sp. USM2. The PHA synthase gene was cloned and expressed in Cupriavidus necator PHB-4 to investigate the possibilities of incorporating other monomers. The recombinant successfully incorporated the 3-hydroxyhexanoate (3HHx) monomer when fed with crude palm kernel oil (CPKO) as the sole carbon source.16

The USM study successfully demonstrated that up to 4 mol% of 3HHx could be produced by the recombinant using CPKO alone. The usage of a renewable and cheaper carbon source such as CPKO compared to fatty acids could aid in reducing the overall production cost of P(3HB-co-3HHx). As CPKO is mainly used in the oleochemical industries, the bioconversion of CPKO to PHA would not have an effect on food production.17

Bioconversion of POME to PHBV:

UPM

The Faculty of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, UPM developed a pilot-scale recovery process for obtaining a clarified solution of mixed organic acids to be used as substrates for PHBV production. The study developed a simplified fermentation method by eliminating the centrifugation step and operating the growth phase and PHA production phase consecutively in a two litre bioreactor. The fermentation process was then further scaled up in a 150L bioreactor, and the final yield and PHBV content were comparable to that obtained in the two litre scale. UPM also determined the physical, thermal and mechanical properties of the polymers to assess the practical application potential of the PHBV. The overall results showed the viability of bioconversion of POME wastewater to PHBV via organic acids.18

The PHA family of bioplastics offers a multitude of possibilities.


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Automated bioprocess in practiceThe production of bioplastics requires a fine-tuned, near-optimal environment for specially-engineered microorganisms to grow, multiply and produce PHA. The plant operator needs to provide the right concentration of nutrients, control temperature and pH levels, and remove toxic metabolic products such as CO2 at each step of the process.

SIRIM developed SCADA and PLC systems to monitor and control the fermentation and recovery processes in the bioplastic pilot plant. The processes are divided between four bioreactors for fermentation (one 2,000L, two 200L and one 20L in volume) as well as five holding tanks for recovery (one 2,000L and four 500L in volume). The user-friendly control system remotely gathers data from PLCs throughout the facility to ensure continuous production, control of product quality, reduced operating and maintenance overhead, and integrated real-time reporting. The system also offers extensive options for upgrading and scalability.

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Exciting product potential

SIRIM’s fermentation process has been optimised for producing PHA from CPKO. In addition, the SIRIM pilot plant can be used to make PHBV from organic acid derived from POME.

The PHA family of bioplastics (including PHBV) offers a multitude of possibilities for manufacturers. PHA is bio-based, biodegradable, recovers well from high level of deformation, has high heat resistance and good hydrolysis resistance, and has a good balance of toughness and stiffness. Because of its molecular structure, PHA bears many similarities to linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). This makes PHA versatile enough to be made into a wide range of moulded items, fibre and film.19

Compounders will find PHA to have tremendous potential as a modifier for PVC as it can improve toughness and plasticisation without affecting transparency or UV stability. As PHA has high miscibility with PVC, it is easy to handle and process in the same conditions as PVC.20

Manufacturers of hard-line consumer goods will have many uses for PHA because of its flexibility and its resemblance to standard LLDPE. In addition to furniture, tools and sports equipment, PHA can be used in the moulded parts of household appliances, particularly in covers, filters, housings, fasteners and clips. The material can also be used in cables, connectors and housings of consumer electronic devices. The trend towards using bioplastics can already be seen in major electronics manufacturers such as Samsung, NEC, Sony, Fujitsu and Nokia, all of which use bioplastics in their products.

Consumers have shown increasing willingness to embrace green product content even at a price premium, particularly in

packaging materials for cosmetics and personal care products. The products are often marketed for their environmentally-friendly qualities. PHA’s flexibility makes it a natural match for caps, bottles, blister packs and other containers in these and other related industries.

Regulations such as the EU End of Life Vehicle Directive are also driving automotive manufacturers to embrace green materials. Carmakers such as Hyundai and Toyota are already looking into incorporating bioplastics in their vehicles. Because of its physical properties, PHA could serve as a more environmentally-friendly material for automotive tubing, seat materials, interior panels and trim parts.

As a biodegradable plastic, PHA also has a place in agriculture as a controlled-release mechanism for fertiliser. Fertiliser pellets made of PHA can be placed in fields to gradually degrade and release their contents over a period of months, reducing both fertiliser and labour costs.


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Business benefitsWhether you manufacture or supply plastic pellets for automotive components, hard-line consumer goods, packaging or any number of other products, SIRIM’s bioplastics technology provides a means of achieving early-mover advantage in the rapidly-growing biobased economy in Malaysia.

SIRIM’s proven bioprocess has been optimised to produce high yields of high-quality PHA. Thanks to the company’s extensive experience in plant and manufacturing solutions, the technology is quickly scalable to large volumes. The automated bioprocess control method also helps to ensure uninterrupted production while keeping maintenance and staffing costs down. Unlike petroleum-based plastics, bioplastics use palm oil by-products as feedstock. A PHA manufacturing operation will fit easily into the palm oil value chain and will be shielded from fossil fuel price fluctuations.

SIRIM’s bioplastics solution enables manufacturers to gain a competitive edge by appealing to increasingly eco-savvy consumers who are willing to pay extra for greener products. SIRIM also offers the widely recognised National Eco-Labelling scheme to test bioplastic products against environmental criteria, serving as an important market differentiator and providing greater visibility for the products’ environmental benefits.

Incorporating bioplastics into products will allow manufacturers to meet current and upcoming regulatory requirements for sustainable content. These businesses will also find it easier to qualify for the Government Green Procurement scheme and gain access to valuable export markets.

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ConclusionDriven by market interest in green products and regulatory changes, manufacturers and suppliers are looking for alternatives to conventional plastics. They require a bioplastics manufacturing solution that will enable them to:

• meet market demand for green products

• take advantage of green procurement schemes and other incentives

• access valuable markets by meeting current and future regulatory requirements

• ensure efficient production while scaling up to meet demand

• reduce reliance on petroleum-based feedstock

SIRIM has successfully developed a commercially scalable automated process capable of producing useful types of bioplastic from two by-products of palm oil production. SIRIM’s bioplastic can meet the needs of manufacturers in a wide range of industries, including automotive components, hard-line consumer goods, packaging and agriculture.


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Glossary of acronyms

ASTM – American Society for Testing and Materials

BPI – Biodegradable Product Institute

BTP – Bioeconomy Transformation Programme

CDW – Cell dry weight

CPKO – Crude palm kernel oil

CPO – Crude palm oil

EFB – Empty fruit bunches

ISO – International Organization for Standardization

JBPA – Japanese BioPlastics Association

LCA – Life-cycle assessment

LLDPE – Linear low-density polyethylene

MF – Mesocarp fibres

MIT – Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MOSTI – Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation

PHA – Polyhydroxyalkanoate

PHBV – Polyhydroxybutyrate-valerate

PKS – Palm kernel shells

PLC – Programmed Logic Control

POME – Palm oil mill effluent

SCADA – Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition

UPM – Universiti Putra Malaysia

USM – Universiti Sains Malaysia

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References[1] Time, 22 September 1924.

[2] Jeffrey L. Meikle (1995), American Plastic: A Cultural History.

[3] Louise Staffas, Mathias Gustavsson, Kes McCormick (2013), “Strategies and Policies for the Bioeconomy and Bio-Based Economy: An Analysis of Official National Approaches,” Sustainability 2013, 5, 2751-2769.

[4] “Doing well by doing good,” Nielsen, June 2014.

[5] USDA-Nexant Renewable Chemicals Market Assessment.

[6] Helmut Kaiser Consultancy Bioplastics Market Worldwide 2011-12-13-14-2015-2020-2025

[7] ASTM D6866-12 Standard Test Methods for Determining the Biobased Content of Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples Using Radiocarbon Analysis.

[8] John Baffes and Tassos Haniotis (July 2010). “Placing the 2006/08 Commodity Price Boom into Perspective,” World Bank.

[9] Agensi Inovasi Malaysia (2011), “National Biomass Strategy 2020: New wealth creation for Malaysia’s palm oil industry.”

[10] Loretta Ojonoma Okwute and Nnennaya R. Isu (2007), “The environmental impact of palm oil mill effluent (POME) on some physico-chemical parameters and total aerobic bioload of soil at a dump site in Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria,” African Journal of Agricultural Research Vol. 2(12), pp. 656-662

[11] Bioplastics Council Bioplastics Industry Overview Guide, April 2012.

[12] Ibid.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Yang, et al. (2010), “Optimization of growth media components for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production from organic acids by Ralstonia eutropha”

[15] Ibid.

[16] Bhubalan, et al. (2009), “Cloning and expression of the PHA synthase gene from a locally isolated Chromobacterium sp. USM 2”

[17] Ibid.

[18] Tabassum Mumtaz (2010), “Production of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) using Comamonas sp. EB172 from organic acids derived from anaerobic treatment of palm oil mill effluent”

[19] Jan Ravenstijn (2014), “PHA…Is it here to stay?”

[20] Jelena Kann (2013), “Modifying PVC with Bio-Based PHA Rubber”

SIRIM Berhad(Company No. 367474-V)1, Persiaran Dato MenteriSection 2, P.O. Box 7035,

40700 Shah Alam, SelangorMALAYSIA

www.sirim.my

General : +603 - 5544 6000R&D : +603 - 5544 5930Email : [email protected]

Driving innovation through technology and quality

Incorporated in November 1995 as a wholly-owned Government company under the Minister of Finance Incorporated, SIRIM Berhad is a recognised industrial research and technology development institution.

With a vision to become a premier total solutions provider, we make businesses compete better through quality and technology innovations. Our technology focus areas are aligned with national strategic initiatives in energy and environmental technologies, plants and machinery expertise and medical technologies.


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