Designers Love the Feel of Wood-Based Plastics

A life-cycle analysis will determine the environmental value of the 80-year-old polymers

Doug Smock, contributing editor -- Design News, February 25, 2010

Many designers are looking to a very old wood-based plastic to achieve a new look that has green values.

One example is a clear protective case for the Apple iPhone 3G that showcases the device's iconic design. "We wanted a crystal-clear material with window-like clarity," says Jedd Komlos, lead industrial designer for Ventev Innovations. The material is called Naturacell, a durable plastic developed by Rotuba Extruders Ltd of Linden, NJ, that blends a natural-based softener with Eastman cellulosics derived from the pulp of softwood trees. 

This plastic has deep roots. Eastman Kodak founded the Tennessee Eastman Co. in 1920 to manufacture wood alcohol for film base. In 1932, Tennessee Eastman began production of its first plastic - Tenite acetate. It was the first thermoplastic and found widespread use in Craftsman tool handles, toys, sunglass frames, toothbrush handles and elsewhere.

Cellulosic plastics, which are composed of 40 to 45 percent wood pulp, have a distinct feel and scent. Tenite has been replaced in some applications in recent years because of its high price relative to commodity plastics such as polystyrene.

But other designers are latching on to the sustainability angle. "All of our wood pulp comes from sustainably managed forests," says Gaylon White, director of design programs at Eastman Chemical, which was spun off from Eastman Kodak in 1993. "For every two trees that are harvested, three are planted." Most of the trees come from Southern softwood forests, and all come from the U.S.

The iPhone case from Ventev accelerates the sustainable angle by using packaging made from fully recycled paperboard. But designer Komlos also likes the clarity of Tenite and the surface finish. "It's very smooth and soft," he says. "If you run your fingernails across the surface, they glide as smooth as ice."

One big payoff could be interior touch points in high-end luxury cars, says White. So far, however, there have been no automotive interior applications.