CSM, Royal DSM and Delft University of Technology are participating in a joint venture for bioprocess research. The new company Bioprocess Pilot Facility BV (BPF) is based in Delft and aims at scale-up research and education for next generation bioprocesses. The official opening of the facility is today May 15, 2012.
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3 Research, 5 Others | Tagged: biobased, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, Bioprocess Pilot Facility, biosourced, CSM, Joint-venture, Royal DSM | 
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Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Researchers at technology company Siemens have developed an alternative material to polystyrene-based acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) plastic made from renewable-based polymers and carbon dioxide.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, 2 Properties, 3 Research | Tagged: bioplastic, biopolymer, biosourced, biobased, bioplastics, BASF, PPC, PHB, CO2, ABS, Siemens, SK Innovation | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Coca-Cola Co. intends to use less secondary packaging and produce more of its bottles from plant-based materials, according to the company’s seventh Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (CRS) report.
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Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Innovia Films’ compostable, cellulose-based material, NatureFlex, is helping a New Zealand coffee roaster meet its commitment to being socially and environmentally responsible.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, Applications, Biobased, Biodegradability | Tagged: biobased, Biodegradability, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, Caffe Prima, Cellulose, Coffee, film, Innovia | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Denmark-based bakery and food ingredients manufacturer CSM has put its bakery supply businesses in North America and Europe for sale in a move to focus on its lactic-acid business.
1 Comment | 5 Others | Tagged: biobased, Biodegradability, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, CSM, lactic, Purac | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
South Korea’s petrochemical companies are rushing to enter into the biopolymer market as an effort to pioneer the new business sector and better prepare for depletion of petroleum.
Biopolymers are manufactured using raw materials extracted from corns, wheat, and sugar canes, while plastic is produced out of petroleum.
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Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
The global automotive industry is abuzz with the tightened supply of polyamide 12 (also called nylon 12) which are used in cable ties, wire insulation, flexible hosing, nozzles, damping cogwheels, flexible cover caps, sheet gaskets, sealing rings, and in other fuel line applications/auto-related parts.
PA-12 is also used in plastic parts to make solar panels and cable coverings used in offshore oil and gas production.
Based on several googled websites, PA-12 reportedly have excellent properties such as high degree of dimensional stability under humidity or freezing environment; high resistance to chemicals such as hydraulic fluids, oil, fuels, grease, salt water, solvents; strong resistance to cracking under stress; high-resistance to abrasion; and has high fatigue resistance.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, Applications | Tagged: Auto, biobased, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, Car, castor oil, Nylon, Oil, PA, PA12, PA610, PA66, Polyamide, Vestamid | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Four Canadian researchers make a case that lignin could become an important feedstock for bioplastics.
“Considering the current production of lignin from pulp and paper industries as well as potential future production from lingocellulosic ethanol industries, it is estimated that around 300 M ton/year of lignin will be produced in North America,” they said in an article presented at the Annual Technical Conference (Antec) of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) held concurrently last month with NPE2012 in Orlando, FL. “Lignin is now considered as an inexpensive co-product and it is mainly used as a boiler fuel. The value of lignin can be better realized as a good source for new outlets such as renewable resource based materials.”
Leave a Comment » | 3 Research | Tagged: biobased, Biodegradability, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, Lignin | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Solvay has recently announced that Rhodia and the National Bioethanol Science and Technology Laboratory (CTBE) in Brazil have signed an agreement to develop chemical routes and processes to obtain molecules of a high added value from sugarcane biomass, in what is known as bio-based chemistry.
Under the agreement, research will be conducted at CTBE, backed by researchers from both parties, who will work together on the development of chemical blocks currently used in different applications and markets that the Solvay Group operates in, with a view to replacing non-renewable sources with biomass in these substances’ production processes.
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Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
To meet the constantly growing demand for biopolyamides, Evonik Industries has begun to undertake extensive measures to increase production capacities for the bio-based VESTAMID® Terra polymers at the beginning of this year. As essential component of this plan, an additional compounding facility will become operative in the third quarter of 2012. The new facility will safeguard long-term supplies for specialty compounds, both to existing markets and for many new fields of application. Measures for capacity expansion in the area of polymerization are also in the works. The commissioning is scheduled for the second half of 2013.
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Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Plantic Technologiesof Melbourne, Australia, showed two commercial applications of its Plantic eco Plastic high-barrier technology. From Excelline Food Products of Chatsworth, CA, comes super-premium Steak and Green Chili Flautas in a tray (shown here) that Excelline forms from rollstock provided by Plantic. And in a pre-made tray supplied by Plantic comes Outback Spirit Sausages from Farmfoods Australia of Geelong, Victoria, Australia; the tray is notable for its custom-matched “Outback orange” color. Both of these innovative packs have extended refrigerated shelf lives. As of this posting, no information was available regarding lidding materials, but presumably some barrier material is involved.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, Applications, Biobased | Tagged: Amylose, biobased, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, Braskem, film, PE, Plantic, Polyethylene, starch | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
It is widely recognized that reforestation is a crucial aspect of tackling climate change and addressing CO2 balance, but less is understood about the hidden carbon footprint and environmental impact of planting new trees. Tree planting conventionally requires the use of a wooden stake as a growth support. Not only are mature trees felled to produce these stakes, but they are often shipped long-distances for use in planting.
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Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Cereplast, Inc. has announced the introduction of a new category of bioplastics — Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate (EVA) and starch hybrid compounds. The first product in this category is the new Cereplast Hybrid Resins® grade, Hybrid 651D, which is a tough, soft touch, pliable material that is ideal for extrusions and soft injection moldable applications. Hybrid 651D provides the desirable properties of conventional EVA, while offering a lower carbon footprint.
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Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Cereplast, Inc. has unveiled a new Cereplast Hybrid Resins® grade — Hybrid 106D — a high starch, high melt flow polypropylene (PP) starch compound. Hybrid 106D is a proprietary formulation of high quality PP and starch blend that offers a unique combination of mechanical properties, ease of processing, and a highly aesthetic surface. Designed to have an excellent balance between impact strength, rigidity, and processability, Hybrid 106D also provides a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to conventional PP.
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Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
The recycling of polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastics may still be in its early stages, but it appears to be heading in the right direction. The Washington-based Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative hosted a webinar on the topic on March 19. The issue has been in the spotlight more as bioplastics use increases, bringing with it concerns about bioplastics mixing with more commonly recycled plastics.
NatureWorks LLC marketing director Steve Davies identified several obstacles facing PLA recycling, including identification, sortation, volumes, end markets and avoiding contamination of existing recycled streams.
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Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
DaniMer Scientific and Myriant announced today that the companies have formed a strategic alliance focused on delivering innovative, cost-effective bio-based materials to the marketplace. As part of the strategic alliance, DaniMer will utilize Myriant’s bio-succinic acid for the production of high-performance, bio-based polymers used to make a broad range of sustainable, eco-friendly products.
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Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
OPX Biotechnologies Inc. (OPXBIO) today announced another milestone that is a major step toward commercializing its more-economical and renewable alternative to petroleum-based acrylic acid. The company successfully demonstrated its fermentation process for bio-based acrylic acid (or BioAcrylic) at the 3,000-liter scale.
OPXBIO is working with The Dow Chemical Company to bring BioAcrylic into the $10-billion market for acrylic used in products such as diapers, detergents, paints and adhesives.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, Biobased | Tagged: acrylic, biobased, Biomonomer, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, OPX Biotechnologies, OPXBIO | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Cycling isn’t just healthy and fun it’s also one of the key ways for developing sustainable transportation models for our increasingly congested cities filled with noise and atmospheric pollution.
To make cycling even greener the Portuguese company Polisport has developed a bottle for cyclists which is also a friend to the environment. This bottle is made from biodegradable plastic made from renewable sources.
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Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Advances leadership position in bio-based succinic acid with completion of world’s first large scale commercial production facility
Reverdia, the joint venture between Royal DSM and Roquette Frères, has been formally approved by the relevant regulatory authorities. Reverdia aims to build on its emerging leadership position for bio-based succinic acid through its proprietary production technology and by ensuring reliable supply to meet the evolving market demands. Reverdia combines DSM’s expertise in Materials Sciences, and biotechnology together with Roquette’s know-how in plant-based raw material processing.
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Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Metabolix, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBLX), a bioscience company focused on bringing environmentally sustainable solutions to the plastics, chemicals and energy industries, today announced that it has granted a non-exclusive license to NatureWorks LLC for the U.S. patent No. 5,883,199, titled “Polylactic Acid-based Blends,” to make, use and sell blends of polylactic acid (PLA) with certain other polymers including polybutylene succinic polymers (PBS). The University of Massachusetts Lowell is the owner of the ‘199 patent, and Metabolix, Inc. is the exclusive licensee in the relevant field. NatureWorks and the biochemicals company BioAmber recently announced a joint venture which will support NatureWorks in bringing to market new performance Ingeo polymer compositions.
Leave a Comment » | 5 Others, Biobased | Tagged: biobased, Biodegradability, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, Blend, License, metabolix, Natureworks, Patent | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Innovia Films’ compostable cellulose-based material, NatureFlex™, has been selected by Miss Muffet & Co, to wrap its range of fairytale and nursery rhyme inspired premium confectionery.
Miss Muffet & Co is a UK-based company, set up by Sarah Cadman, who has a philosophy of using natural ingredients wherever possible.
1 Comment | Uncategorized | Tagged: biobased, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, Cellulose, film, Innovia Films, Natureflex | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
BioMass Packaging has added modular, single-serve cups and lids to its line of compostable food service products.
Greenware cups (pictured) and lids are made entirely from NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer, a polylactic acid-based material. The range consists of a basic cup, an insert with a secure lid, and either a flat or domed lid that snaps on tight. Cups and inserts are sold in cases of 1,000 units and are available for immediate delivery.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, Applications | Tagged: biobased, Biodegradability, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, Ingeo, Natureworks, PLA, plant | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Yulex, a developer of biobased elastomer products, has signed a joint development agreement with Cooper Tire & Rubber, a company specialized in the design, manufacture and marketing of light truck and passenger car tires, to develop bio-based polymers for tire applications.
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Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
The bioplastics market is expanding rapidly and by 2030 could account for 10 per cent of the total plastics market. But as the market grows so to does the public discussion whether these new plastics, that are based on biomass instead of mineral oil, really do have ecological advantages.
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Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Achieving a first for the snack cheese market, Clear Lam Packaging, Inc. has developed new, renewable packaging for Lactalis American Group, Inc. The new packaging is being produced for all varieties of Lactalis’ Precious® Sticksters® brands and features a revolutionary new film material made partially from plant-based plastic. This development is part of Clear Lam’s Project EarthClear™ initiative.
The renewable Precious® Sticksters® package is made at Lactalis on horizontal form fill and seal machines. The package, which holds individually sealed cheese sticks, is made from a lamination of plant-based, renewable plastic and an outer layer made from traditional petroleum-based plastic. This new material, which is 50 percent plant-based, generates up to 35.2 percent fewer greenhouse gases and uses up to 36.8 percent less energy than the conventional petroleum-based materials it replaces. Lactalis made the packaging change as part of its corporate sustainability commitment.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, 2 Properties, Applications, Biobased, Biodegradability | Tagged: biobased, Biodegradability, bioplastic, bioplastics, biosourced, Clearlam, FFS, Lactalis, packaging, PLA | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
The manufacturer of biodegradable and compostable packaging said that its new cup was aimed at coffee outlets who want to demonstrate their commitment to the environment. The new cup is a sister product to Biopac’s ‘I’m not a plastic cup’, launched last year. Made from certified FSC board lined with a starch material, the cup is 100% compostable, so very kind to the environment.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, Applications, Biobased, Biodegradability | Tagged: biobased, Biodegradability, Biopac, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, Cup, starch | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
BioAmber Inc. has completed its Series C round of financing with net proceeds of $30 million. The financing was closed in two tranches; a first tranche of $20 million on November 4th, 2011 with existing investors Naxos Capital, Sofinnova Partners, Mitsui & Co. Ltd. and the Cliffton Group, and a second tranche of $10 million on February 6th, 2012 with specialty chemicals company LANXESS. All of BioAmber’s Series B investors participated in the Series C financing.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, Additives | Tagged: Additive, bioamber, biobased, Biodegradability, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, Invest, lanxess, PBS, plasticizer, succinic | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
DaniMer 92427 is an Eco-friendly, biodegradable hot melt adhesive made from renewable materials: this new revolutionary Hot melt has been designed and formulated for use in carton and case seal applications requiring freezer conditions down to – 40°C. This revolutionary formulation adheres to carton stock or corrugated substrates while retaining stability at lower temperatures. It is designed for a wide range of packaging and remains stable in extreme environments -88°C to 90°C.
1 Comment | 1 New products, Additives, Biobased, Biodegradability | Tagged: biobased, Biodegradability, bioplastic, bioplastics, biosourced, Danimer, PHAs | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Leave a Comment » | 5 Others | Tagged: Amyris, biobased, Biofene, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, building block, Monomer, Total | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
DaniMer Scientific, LLC and EnerPol, LLC, an upstream oil and gas technology firm, will launch a marketing effort utilizing DaniMer’s degradable polymers at the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) event in The Woodlands, Texas on Feb. 7. DaniMer recently expanded its reach into the oil field services sector through the development of a series of new biodegradable polymers that can be used in the oil and gas extraction process.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, 2 Properties, Applications, Biobased, Biodegradability | Tagged: biobased, Biodegradability, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, Danimer, enerpol, PHA | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Compostable labels are now available from Convex Plastics to put on Econic® and other bio-degradable packaging. The new compostable labels are ideal for putting on plain packs and can be custom-printed to maximise branding and shelf appeal.
Leave a Comment » | Biodegradability | Tagged: biobased, Biodegradability, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, compostable, EcoSavi, GreenSACK, Label | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Here’s a short post as I give myself a break from studying for Wednesday’s exam. France-based Roquette announced last week that it started its 25,000 tonnes/year starch-based thermoplastics production facility at its Lestrem site.
1 Comment | 1 New products, 2 Properties, Biobased | Tagged: biobased, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, France, Gaïalene, Lestrem, Roquette, starch | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Bioplastics specialist FKuR Kunststoff GmbH will be presenting a broad range of biodegradable, biobased and natural fibre reinforced compounds at Ecopack 2012. Besides their well-established product lines Bio-Flex® and Biograde®, FKuR will present their new custom-made green polyethylene compounds with the brand name Terralene® which are based on Braskem’s Green PE.
Leave a Comment » | 2 Properties, Biobased | Tagged: biobased, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, Braskem, FKuR, Terralene | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Roquette and Rhodia Acetow have signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to develop new plant-based polymers. The JDA will enable both companies to leverage synergies bringing together respective competencies in the field of plant-based polymer chemistry.
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1 Comment | 5 Others | Tagged: biobased, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, JDA, monomers, Rhodia, Roquette, starch acetate | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
The Netherlands-based Purac reports successful start-up of its new 75,000 tonnes/year lactide plant in Thailand, which started construction in March 2010.
According to the company several batches of PURALACT lactides have already been produced and actual deliveries to customers are scheduled to start early 2012. For those who are new in the bioplastic business, lactides are precursor for polylactic acid (PLA) resins but it can also be used as a building block for intermediate chemicals.
1 Comment | 5 Others | Tagged: biobased, Biodegradability, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, lactic acid, Lactid, PLA, Purac, Puralact | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Ajinomoto Co Inc and Toray Industries Inc have entered into an agreement to begin joint research for manufacturing the nylon raw material 1,5-pentanediamine (1,5-PD) from the amino acid lysine produced from plant materials by Ajinomoto using fermentation technology, and commercializing a biobased nylon made from this substance.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, 2 Properties, Applications, Biobased | Tagged: Ajinomoto, biobased, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, Nylon, PA, pentanediamine, Polyamide, toray | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Showa Denko K.K (SDK) and Myriant Corporation announced today that SDK has selected Myriant as its global supplier of biosuccinic acid. Under the terms of the supply agreement, SDK will utilize Myriant’s biosuccinic acid for the production of high-performance biodegradable polybutylene succinate, or PBS, a key polymer used in the production of bioplastics.
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2 Comments | 4 Suppliers, 5 Others | Tagged: biobased, Biodegradability, bioplastic, bioplastics, biosourced, GreenPla, myriant, PBS, Showa, succinic | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
A change is in the air when it comes to products produced with flexible vinyl compounds. Dow Electrical & Telecommunications (Dow E&T), a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, and Teknor Apex Company are excited to announce a joint market development agreement for flexible vinyl in several application areas. Under a joint Collaboration Agreement, Teknor Apex was granted exclusive marketing rights in North America for flexible vinyl compounds containing DOW ECOLIBRIUM™ Bio-Based Plasticizers in certain applications such as consumer and industrial products, certain medical devices, automotive components, and select wire and cable products. Teknor Apex plans to commercialize compounds made with DOW ECOLIBRIUM™ this year and will introduce the new compounds at NPE 2012 in April.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, 2 Properties, Biobased | Tagged: biobased, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, Dow, ECOLIBRIUM, Plasticizers, Teknor Apex | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
US producers of bio-based products will be happy to know that President Obama signed a presidential memo yesterday that requires the federal government via the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) BioPreferred Program to track and increase its purchases of products made from plants and other renewable agricultural materials.
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Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Scotland-based Edinburgh Napier University’s Biofuels Research Centre has spun out a new company that focuses on converting waste products derived from whisky production into biobutanol and other renewable chemicals. The new company, Celtic Renewables Ltd., officially launched Jan. 25.
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Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, 2 Properties, Biobased | Tagged: biobased, biobutanol, biosourced, Celtic Renewables, Monomer, Whisky | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Springdale, Ariz.-based BioBased Technologies and Skippack, Pa.-based Palmer International have joined forces to form a strategic alliance that will focus on the development of a new family of biobased polyols derived from cashew nutshell liquid (CNL) for use in rigid foam applications.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, Additives, Applications, Biobased | Tagged: biobased, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, cashew, nutshell, Palmer International, Skippack, Springdale | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Burlington, Ontario-based EcoSynthetix Inc. has secured a $2.1 million funding award from Sustainable Development Technology Canada to support the development and commercialization of its novel biobased EcoMer monomer technology platform, which has the potential to address a $30 billion target market across multiple industrial applications such as toners, water-based inks, water-based paints and coatings, surfactants and pressure sensitive adhesives (PSA).
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, Additives | Tagged: biobased, Biodegradability, bioplastic, biopolymer, biosourced, building block, building blocks, dextrose, Ecomer, EcoSynthetix, glucose, Monomer, saccharides | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Galactic, a leading supplier of lactic acid and lactates has announced its intention to invest in a multi-million innovation centre for food and non-food applications in Escanaffles, Belgium.
The 2,000 m² building will house several laboratories and pilot facilities dedicated to the development of new applications for lactic acid and lactates in meat, bakery and dairy as well as in non-food sectors such as paints, coatings, inks and surface treatment. It will also provide a comprehensive platform fully equipped with fermentation halls and chemical reactors for research on new molecules (Lactochemistry).
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, Biobased, Biodegradability | Tagged: biobased, Biodegradability, biosourced, Galactic, lactic, Monomer, PLA | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE:DOW – News) (Midland, Michigan), through its Brazilian subsidiary headquartered in Sao Paulo, is planning to implement investments in Brazil that will upgrade an already existing facility and provide the company with its first biopolymersproduction site in Santa Vitoria, Minas Gerais, boosting Dow’s presence in the region.
Leave a Comment » | 5 Others | Tagged: biobased, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, Brazil, Dow, Sugarcane | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, Biobased | Tagged: biobased, Biodegradability, Biodiesel, bioplastics, biosourced, building block, building blocks, Glycerol, Glycos Biotechnologies, Renewable Energy Group | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
From pre-packed Camembert to shrink-wrapped meat loaf – choosing the right packaging is a key issue in the food industry. Companies need to protect food products from oxygen, moisture and chemical and biological contamination while keeping them fresh for as long as possible.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, Applications | Tagged: biobased, bioplastic, biopolymer, biosourced, EVOH, IRIS, Multilayer, packaging, Whey | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Centennial, CO—Penford Corporation, a company with significant business and expertise in specialty starches and sustainable bio-products and Novomer Inc., a new materials company pioneering a family of high-performance plastics and polymers using renewable feedstocks such as carbon dioxide, announce that they have entered into a Joint Development Agreement that will leverage the two companies’ core technologies and expertise.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, Biobased | Tagged: biobased, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, CO2, novomer, Penford Corporation, PPC, starch | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Genomatica and Novamont announced they have signed a definitive agreement establishing a joint venture (JV) for the first industrial plant in Europe producing butanediol (BDO) directly from renewable feedstocks. This follows the announcement on August 18, 2011 of a letter of intent between the companies. Novamont will have a majority of the equity in the JV, and Genomatica a minority interest. Novamont, a leading producer of biodegradable bioplastics, will consume the BDO for its own internal use to meet the increasing demand for its biopolymer products that incorporate BDO as a key monomer.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products | Tagged: BDO, biobased, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, genomatica, Monomer, Novamont | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
DSM forms a joint venture with US ethanol producer POET called POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels. It is actually not surprising that DSM will venture into this path given the company’s enzymes business. Major enzymes producer in the biofuel field today includes DSM, DuPont (via the newly acquired Danisco/Genencor), Novozymes,Verenium, Codexis, Syngenta…
The 50-50 POET-DSM JV is scheduled to start cellulosic ethanol production in the second half of 2013 via POET’s 20m-25m gal/year facility dubbed Project Liberty currently being constructed in Emmetsburg, Iowa (initial Capex is $250m).
1 Comment | 1 New products, Biobased | Tagged: biobased, biosourced, DSM, Ethanol, POET | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Danisco has recently released its cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment for SOFT-N-SAFE™, the bio-based plasticizer from Glycerine and Castor Oil, to add to the weight of evidence that the company has produced in support of the product’s benign Environmental profile.
The plasticizer – used primarily by the PVC industry to substitute for any ‘plasticizers of concern’ – is based on Glycerine and Castor Oil and has made considerable inroads into both the Food Contact and the Technical markets across a wide spectrum of end-uses and other polymers such as PET and Acrylics. Commented Mikkel Thrane, Danisco‘s Life Cycle Assessment Manager: “Having previously released comprehensive information on the safety of SOFT-N-SAFE™ for human beings it was only logical that we completed the picture with a detailed life cycle assessment of the environmental impacts in accordance with the ISO 14044 standard as well as the ILCD Handbook from the Joint Research Centre of European Commission. We are naturally pleased at the result and the study – which is 3rd party verified – highlights the minimum impact that this product has on our environment. With a low impact on Water resources, Non-renewable resource depletion and Greenhouse Gas emissions it has all the hallmarks of a genuinely sustainable product”.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, Additives, Biobased | Tagged: biobased, Biodegradability, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, danisco, plasticizer, Soft-N-Safe | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Cereplast, Inc. (Nasdaq:CERP), a leading manufacturer of proprietary biobased, compostable and sustainable plastics, has introduced the next generation of Cereplast Hybrid Resins®, an expansion of the Biopropylene® PP-based resin product offering through two new bioplastic resin grades, Hybrid 102D and 105D. Cereplast anticipates going to market with the new resin grades during the first half of 2012 in the United States and Europe.
1 Comment | 1 New products, 2 Properties, Applications, Biobased | Tagged: biobased, Biohybrid, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, cereplast, packaging | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Eastman Chemical Co. ventured into the biobutanol space in November when its subsidiary Eastman Renewable Materials LLC acquired TetraVitae Biosciences Inc. and its assets. TetraVitae Biosciences is a developer of biobutanol and bioacetone, which are platform intermediates in the production of a variety of products, including coatings, molded plastics and personal care products. The company’s technology features the use of Clostridium Beijerinckii BA 101, a proprietary, mutant, nongenetically modified organism. To date, TetraVitae Bioscience’s process has been demonstrated through the retrofit of a corn ethanol demonstration facility at the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center at Southern Illinois University.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, 2 Properties, Biobased | Tagged: bioacetone, biobased, biobutanol, biosourced, Eastman, Monomer, TetraVitae Biosciences | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
DaniMer Scientific’s ReNew packaging and film resins have been officially certified as compostable by Vinçotte International, a renowned inspection facility headquartered in Vilvoorde, Belgium. Vinçotte grants OK Compost certification to a product after verifying that it meets EN 13432, a standard for compostability recognized in Europe, Asia and North America.
The OK Compost certification is enabled through Vinçotte’s rigorous examination and verification of testing conducted on samples from a company’s stocks. According to OK Compost, packaging or products featuring the OK compost label are guaranteed as biodegradable in an industrial composting plant and applies to all components, inks and additives. DaniMer’s OK Compost certified resins are both compostable and biodegradable, which enables its end-users to avoid the cost of removal and land filling.
Leave a Comment » | 5 Others | Tagged: biobased, Biodegradability, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, Danimer, OK compost, PHA, Vinçotte | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Virent announced the issuance of five new U.S. patents covering aspects of its catalytic BioForming® platform. Three of the patents, U.S. Patent Nos. 8,053,615, 8,017,818 and 7,977,517, cover the production of various liquid fuels and chemicals related to its recent announced partnership with The Coca-Cola Company and its ongoing partnership with Royal Dutch Shell. The additional two patents, Patent Nos. 7,767,867 and 7,898,664, are directed to the production of a range of other industrial chemicals and chemical intermediates using Virent’s BioForming® process. These patents join the over 175 domestic and foreign issued and pending applications in Virent’s portfolio representing more than 25 different technology families.
Leave a Comment » | 3 Research, 5 Others, Patents | Tagged: biobased, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, Patent, PET, Virent | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Just like Coca-Cola’s announcement of partnering with Gevo, Virent and Avantium, the renewable chemicals world takes notice when chemical giants such as BASF, Dow Chemical and DuPont announced further investments in this field.
BASF’s $30m investment in US cellulosic sugar developer Renmatix signals the German chemical firm’s intent to expand its feedstock source especially for its renewable chemicals and materials portfolio.
Leave a Comment » | 2 Properties, 3 Research, 4 Suppliers, Biobased | Tagged: BASF, biobased, biosourced, Cellulose, Renmatix, second gen, Sugar, Water | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
MMI has announced that it has secured approximately $130,000 in funding from a collaboration with Micromidas, Inc. to research biopolymers and renewable polymer building blocks. In addition, thanks to a $25,000 grant, MMI is providing proof-of-concept expertise to the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan’s renewable propylene glycol derivatives research. Dr. Patrick B. Smith, a Research Scientist, is leading MMI’s charge in the area of biobased materials. He provided details for each project.
“Micromidas is a really interesting startup company based in West Sacramento”, Smith said. “They take low-value organic waste and convert it into higher value bioplastics and chemical building blocks. Currently, they’re focused on municipal waste, where they ferment that sludge and convert it into plastics that feed into significant commercial plastics streams”.
Leave a Comment » | 5 Others | Tagged: biobased, Biodegradability, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, Funding, higan Molecular Institute, Micromidas, P&G, PHA, propylene glycol, waste | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
According to the company’s S-1 report, Coskata reportedly possessed a propanol production technology – and combined with alcohol dehydration technology, they can produce propylene. The company has partnered with Total Petrochemicals (since December 2010) and IFP Energies Nouvelles & Axens on this research.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, Biobased | Tagged: Axens, biobased, biosourced, Blackstone, Coskata, Ethylene, General Motors, Khosla ventures, Monomer, Propylene, Sumitomo, Total | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Cardia Bioplastics and Polyden Folien have announced their cooperation on sustainable film products for the European packaging industry.
Polyden Folien has launched their new range of packaging films made with Cardia Biohybrid™ technology that meet highest packaging performance standards. Cardia Biohybrid™ proprietary technology combines renewable thermoplastics with polyethylene material to reduce dependence on finite oil resources and to reduce carbon footprint.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, Applications, Biobased | Tagged: biobased, Biodegradability, Biohybrid, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, Cardia, film, Polyden | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Beverage giant Coca-Cola is making what it said was a multi-million dollar investment in three bio-based companies in an effort to accelerate the development of a PlantBottle made entirely from plants. The Atlanta-based beverage company said that it is investing in three companies:
Coke’s aim is to advance the technology to make purified terephthalic acid from non-petroleum sources. PTA accounts for 70% of the PET bottle formulation by weight and monoethylene glycol the other 30%.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, 2 Properties, Applications, Biobased | Tagged: Avamtium, biobased, BioPET, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, Coca-Cola, Gevo, green PET, PET, plant, PlantBottle, Virent | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
The new bottles made from renewable raw material are already available at drug stores and supermarkets
The SUNDOWN® regular line of products, which uses groundbreaking technology for the sun care market, is now available at stores in more sustainable packaging. It is one of the few brands around the world to use sugarcane-based polyethylene in its packaging, which contains 60% green plastic and 40% recycled material, thus helping to avoid unnecessary disposal of solid waste. To find out whether the SUNDOWN® product is manufactured using this material, consumers must look for the “I’m Green” logo on the front and back of the packaging.
Leave a Comment » | 1 New products, Applications, Biobased | Tagged: biobased, BioPE, bioplastic, bioplastics, biopolymer, biosourced, Braskem, Brazil, Green PE, Johnson & Johnson, PE, Polyethylene, Sugarcane, SUNDOWN | Permalink
Posted by Frédéric Chivrac
Agenda Bioplastic innovation
