What Is The Future For Bioplastics?

What is a Bioplastic?

To be classified as biobased, the material must be

organic and contain some percentage of recently

fixed (new) carbon found in biological resources or

crops. This definition is the basis of ASTM D6866

Definitional Clarification

Renewable does not mean compostable

Nylon 11, Brazchem PE

Non renewable does not mean non compostable

ECOFLEX , polybutylene succinate (PBS)

Compostability is a disposal option-not compositionally defined

Why the Drive to Use Renewable Feedstocks?

Oil Independence

Environmental Pollution

Global Warming

Human Health Concerns.

Legislation

Products

Plastics Trends - Facts

Non Renewable Renewable

Disposables Durables

Feedstocks

Facts or Wishful Thinking?

Global demand for bioplastics will increase more than

fourfold to 900,000 metric tons in 2013. (Freedonia)

Global production of bioplastics will increase

six-fold to 1.5 million tonnes by 2011, up from 262,000

tonnes in 2007. (European Bioplastics )

Production capacity of bio-based plastics is

projected to increase from 360,000 tons in 2007

to about 2.3 million tons by 2013. (European Bioplastics )

Facts or Wishful Thinking?

Increasing demand for biobased, durable products in electronics

and automotive applications.

By 2011 durables are expected to account for almost 40% of

bioplastics -compared with 12% today. ( European Bioplastics)

Can Today’s Compostable Bioplastics Meet the Durables Needs?

Key Compostable Bioplastics -The First

Generation

Starch/PLA/ECOFLEX

Compounded Biobased

Compostable

O

OHHO

H CH3

L-Lactic Acid

O

OHHO

H3CH

D-Lactic Acid

(0.5%)

Polylactic Acid -PLA

100% Renewable and compostable

Compostable Bioplastics –Second Generation

Poly Hydroxy Alkanoates

(PHA’s)

,

Short Chain Length (SCL)

PHB,PHBV

SCL-co MCL

PHBH,PHBHP,

PHBHO,PHBHN

Product Company Location Capacity/mt Price/#

PLA Natureworks USA 150,000 0.85-1.20

PLA Hisun China 5,000 1.25

PHA’s Metabolix/Telles USA 300/50,000

(2010)

2.50-2.75

PHBH Meredian/Kaneka USA 150,000? n/a

PHBV Tianan China 2,000 2.40-2.50

Materbi Novamont Eu 80,000 2.0-3.0

Cereplast Cereplast USA 25,000 1.50-2.50

HDPE/LDPE/PP

.

Brazchem SA 200,000

(2010)

0.80-1.00

Biobased Polymer Capacities for Major Players

Major Markets for Compostable Bioplastics

Starch Blends PLA SCL-PHA’sStarch Blends

Compostable Bioplastics Do Not Meet the

Needs for Durables

Starch Blends

Hydrolytic stability

Distortion Temp.

Vapor transmission

Shelf Life

Areas of Concern

PLA

Hydrolytic Stability

Distortion Temp.(amorph.)

Vapor Transmission

Shelf Life

Impact Resistance

Melt Strength

SCL PHA’S

Hydrolytic Stability

Shelf Life

Melt Strength

Processability

Economics

“Ageing”

Traditional Path to Maturity For Plastics

Copolymers

Impact modifiers

Rheology

Modifiers

Plasticizers

Nucleating agents

Rigid/Flexible

Low/High Temp

Biobased/PetroBase Polymer

Additives

Fillers/fibers

Pigments

Lubricants

Mold release agents

ModifiersBlends Chemical Resit.

High Heat

Ductile

Will Biopolymers Follow the Traditional Path to Maturity?-Yes

Copolymers

Acrylics

Joncryls

CitroflexEBS

PLA/Ecoflex

PLA/PHBV

PLA/PCBase Polymer

PLA

Additives

Talc

Kenaf

ModifiersBlends

Isosorbide

2,5 FDCA

Blends of PHBV/ PLA Already Occurring -

Why?

Improved Temperature Performance over PLA

Improved processing window over PHBV

Wider mechanical property spectrum

Almost completely renewable resource based

Still Compostable

Heat Distortion Properties of PHBV/PLA Blends

COURTESY OF PETER HOLLAND BV

Samples Held up to 12minutes at 100 C

100%PLA

90%PLA/10%PHBV

80%PLA/20%PHBV

70%PLA/30%PHBV

60%PLA/40%PHBV

50%PLA/50%PHBV

2Minutes

Deformed

12Minutes

Not

Deformed

Heat Distortion Temperatures of PHBV/PLA Blends

COURTESY OF PETER HOLLAND BV

Sample Load MPa HDT oC

100% PLA 0.45 52.0

90/10 0.45 53.4

80/20 0.45 54.5

70/30 0.45 54.6

60/40 0.45 63.0

50/50 0.45 66.3

PHBV/PLA Blended Product

Courtesy of Peter Holland BV

Will this Path Serve Durable Markets ?

Not Likely with Only 100% Renewable Products.

Renewable/Petro based Blends are Developing

Low Biobased content Durable Copolymers are Appearing

To Cross the Frontier to High Biobased Durables:

A New Approach is needed

Bioplastics – Present and The Future?

Compostables

PLAPHA’s (PBS)

Starch Blends PLA/PHA

PTTTPU’s

Biobased Durables

Low New “C” Content

PETNylon 4.10,6.10, 10.10, 10. Nylon 11

PE, PPNYLON 6

PET, NYLON 6PBT, PMMA,PC

Biobased Durables

High New “C” Content

Bioplastics Frontier1994-2009 2010-2015?

The New Frontier Landscape

Succinic acid - (DSM, Bioamber, Roquette, Mitsubishi Chemical)

3-hydroxy propionic acid - (Cargill, Codexis)

Acrylic acid - (Ceres, Rohm & Haas)

Aspartic acid - (China)

Levulinic acid - (China)

Sorbitol - (Cargill, ADM, Roquette)

Ethylene/ethylene glycol - (Brazchem, India Glycols)

Propylene/propane 1,3 diol - (Brazchem, DuPont / Tate & Lyle)

Butylene/butane diol - (Genomatica)

Lysine/caprolactam - (Draths)

Terephthalic acid - (Gevo)

Adipic acid

Isoprene - (Goodyear, Genenco)

The Future For Bioplastics Will Depend On…

Moving from Single Use Compostable to Durables

Performance and Price improvements for Existing Bioplastics

Renewable Building Block Developments

Recycling Infrastructure Developments

The Voyage continues

Thank you