Into the future with biopolymers
Shaping polymer properties with bio-based additives
Biopolymers are used across a broad spectrum of applications due to their renewable nature and their biodegradibility. However, the neat polymers are often difficult to process and suffer from their brittle character. Jungbunzlauer can help you tackle these challenges with our range of bio-based CITROFOL® plasticisers. Our CITROFOL® citrate esters provide the ideal bio-based alternative to conventional plasticisers in biopolymers.
- Basic data usage of CITROFOL® in Polylactic Acid, Polyhydroxyalkanoate and Cellulose Acetate
- Excellent processability with CITROFOL®
- Improved mechanical properties by plastification
- Accelerated disintegration of biopolymers through citrate esters
- Development of a biodegradable mulch film with PLA, PHB, PHBV and CITROFOL® BII
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Polylactic Acid (PLA) with CITROFOL®
PLA is a popular material as it is economically produced from renewable resources by polymerisation of fermentation-based lactic acid. However, its widespread application is hindered by numerous physical and processing limitations, like its brittleness or low elasticity.
Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) with CITROFOL®
Poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) belongs to the group of PHAs. It is a thermoplastic, biodegradable, non-toxic biopolymer that is produced naturally by bacteria. Its brittleness, low elongation at break and low impact resistance can pose issues in its commercial application.
Cellulose Acetate (CA) with CITROFOL®
CA is a thermoplastic biopolymer made from wood pulp. Due to its biodegradability potential, its use has become even more widespread in recent years. Pure CA is a brittle material that requires the addition of a plasticiser – to ensure proper processing and optimised end properties.
Biodegradable mulch film
Mulch films are predominantly based on polyethylene (PE), a non-degradable polymer, which makes it necessary to collect the film before harvest. Through the adhering soil, the PE film cannot be reused nor recycled. Biodegradable polymers like PLA or PHAs are growing in popularity for mulch films, which allow ploughing the film into the soil without harming effects, e.g. microplastic accumulation.
Accelerated disintegration
Despite biodegradability, degradation can take a long time, in particular in normal environment when sharp conditions like
in industrial composting cannot be reached. Therefore, an accelerated decomposition is preferred for specific product
categories.
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