Bioplastic leader Cereplast has successfully commercialized an injection-molding grade of algae-based bioplastics: Biopropylene 109D is made with 20 percent post-industrial algae biomatter, and targets thin-walled applications.
Like many biofuel makers, lots of bioplastics manufacturers are looking for alternatives to using material derived from food-based crops as feedstocks. Shifting to the use of algae is one way of creating sustainable fuels and plastics from feedstocks that don't compete with food crops, or that don't use land that could be growing food crops.
Biopropylene 109D, and the company's other algae-based bioplastics, are designed to replace up to half of the petroleum-based polymers used in traditional resins.
Cereplast, which was one of the first companies to blend algae with a polypropylene, has been working on the technology since 2008, developing and testing algae-filled grades of bioplastics, says chairman and CEO Frederic Scheer in a press release. In 2010, the company announced that it was close to achieving hybrid resins -- blending algae with petroleum-based plastics -- with properties good enough for inclusion in its line of Cereplast Hybrid resins (now the Cereplast Sustainables line).
Biopropylene 109D has a maximum tensile strength of 3,460 psi, a tensile modulus of 240 kpsi, a flexural modulus of 125 kpsi, and a flexural strength of 3,630 psi. (You can access a technical data sheet here.)
Problem-free sources of algae for use in bioplastics have not been easy to come by. The algae produced by typical photo-bioreactors can be used either as a source of biopolymer feedstock raw material, or as biofuel. Cereplast says it has identified a post-industrial source of algae that doesn't rely on the commercialization of biofuel production. Instead, its algae biomass source consists of byproducts resulting from industrial processing to extract specialty chemicals for algae biofuels and nutritionals. The company's R&D team also developed a process for the post-industrial algae source that reduces the algae biomatter's typical strong odor.
The Biopropylene 109D bioplastic is recommended for thin wall injection molding applications. It can be processed on conventional existing hydraulic and electric reciprocating screw injection molding machines. Several customers are currently evaluating the technology.
The company's other bioplastics are based on a variety of biopolymers, including PLA, PHB, PHA, soy protein, or starches from corn, tapioca, or potatoes. In a proprietary process, Cereplast blends the biopolymer with other ingredients to strengthen its molecular structure. That blend is polymerized and its structure reinforced further by treating it with nanocomposites.
Cereplast's Sustainables resins combine high bio-based content with traditional plastic's durability and endurance. They are targeted to applications in industries such as automotive, consumer electronics, and packaging. The company's other product line, its Compostables resins, are aimed at single-use applications, such as food service products.
A very interesting subject. I think this is an area that we're just scratching the surface on. At some point, someone will make that crucial discovery that will enable us to apply it to commodity polymers across the board, economically, while also enhancing mechanical and chemical properties to meet or exceed those of petrolium based plastics. Is it true that most biopolymers are semi-crystalline? I wonder what kind of in-roads the industry is making in the amorphous, injection molding world? (to be similar to ABS, PC, and such)
Elizabeth, although the basic idea is quite simple, this *is* pretty specialized chemistry. And the fact that you can make either fuel or bioplastic wasn't intuitively obvious at first to me, either.
Dave, as we said in the article, Cereplast is recommending 109D for thin-walled IM applications, and, as a resin in the company's Sustainables line, it's targeted at automotive, consumer electronics, and packaging uses. It's clearly not aimed at the high end of durables. I agree, it will be interesting to see what specific objects it's used for.
Thanks for clarifying that, Ann. Now that I think of it, of course it makes sense that the same products can be used for fuel or bioplastic, but I wasn't sure if certain properties of the biomaterial might be different and so not conducive to both processes.
Elizabeth, corn is not ideal as a feedstock here, for the same reasons it isn't in biofuels. And, BTW, many of these feedstocks can be used for either biofuel or bioplastic, just like petroleum.
Ann, thanks for posting this. The mechanical properties of the algae-based polypropylene don't seem to be quite as good as regular polypropylene. A general-purpose, petroleum-derived grade would have a tensile strength around 4900 psi, compared to 3460 psi for Cereplast's algae-derived grade. The ductility is also quite low (3.3%, according to Cereplast, compared to 12% for a petroleum-based grade). That being said, it may be good enough for many applications. It would be interesting to see what applications Cereplast's customers are considering for this material.
Thanks, Clint. Glad you're enjoying our coverage of this subject. I've been looking more toward bioplastic and biofuel efforts that use feedstocks that are non-food, don't use potential agricultural land, and preferably use waste that would otherwise be contributing to CO2 levels.
Elizabeth, thanks for asking! No sarcasm--I'm happy to share. I find this subject absolutely fascinating. I suggest you check out the links at the end of the story: we've published several posts on a wide variety of feedstocks.
Thanks for keeping a finger on the pulse of the alternative materials market. It makes for great reading and increases awareness.
As I had mentioned in my comments on one of your earlier columns, finding a repeatable, reliable and large enough source for the feedstock makes or breaks this sort of system. It's great that Cereplast was able to use the waste stream from a what sounds like a mature company in another industry. As long as that product flourishes, Cereplast won't have to worry about raw materials.
And as their raw material is another company's waste, it is a win for the environment.
You seem to really know a lot about this, Ann...it's a bit of a new area for me. Besides algae and avocado pits, what are some of the other natural elements being used in bioplastic? Does corn play a role, as it does in biofuel? Excuse my ignorance, but it's really quite an area of interest for me. Thanks!
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