Polyhydroxyalcanoate (PHA)-based biopolymer for multiple industrial applications using injection proposed for use

Short summary A French company has developed a new compound based on a mix of Polyhydroxyalcanoate (PHA) polymers with other bio-based materials. This compound is intended for injection moulding and is fully biodegradable in soil in less than 5 years but can also withstand exposure to liquids for months without degradation. Injection companies interested in substituting their current petrochemical-based plastics with a bio-based compound are sought for under a technical cooperation agreement.

Full description The main issues with plastics pollution today are their proliferation and the end-of-life disposal. To reduce proliferation, there are different approaches not covered here. To control the end of life, considering that only a small fraction of plastics is collected and reused, it is better to select plastic materials that will self-degrade in soil where a lot of petrochemical-based plastics end today (between only 9 and 30% of plastics collected and recycled depending on the country). This French company active in materials compound has developed a mix of PHA’s, a biopolymer elaborated by bacteriae and with biodegradability in soil properties. Further organic and non-organic materials have been added in the matrix with the aims of accelerating the degradation, reducing the manufacturing cost and reusing wastes and by-products of the agrifood industry. This compound is perfectly suitable for injection moulding mainly even if some 3D printing operations have been tried with limitations. Rotomoulding could be possibly considered too. Compared with PLA (polylactic acid) that requires a special compost factory (60°C minimum needed), the proposed compound is usable in soil for direct degradation but can be also used in a compost factory or in a methane generation unit after the products end-of-life. This compound can be used in the funeral sector (urns, plates, etc…), the furniture secotr, the toys, the eye wear, the horticulture industries and is suitable for food-contact objects. The company is now looking for : - Plastic injection moulding companies willing to substitute non degradable and petro-chemical based plastic materials by new fully bio-degradable materials. The company is interesting by a technical cooperation agreement. - Companies developing and selling products obtained by injection moulding process interested to use such a compound to substitute to a non-biodegradable plastic

Advantages and innovations - New compound with brewer’s spent grains load for biodegradation in soil - Bio-based and fully biodegradable plastic materials which can be injected. - Resistant to moisture for several weeks

Contact / source: NEXT EEN Widgets (europa.eu)