BIO-PLASTIC - RAHUL YADAV, PREETI YADAV, V C BRIAN (smallest ebook reader .txt) 📗

have a greater influence on the price than the costs of the raw material source and of the chemistry involved. Today prices are bit high but at higher scales of production the price will fall to a range of 1 to 10USD per kg. market

MARKET AND PRICE OF BIOPLASTIC

 

The world currently utilises approximately 260 million tonnes of plastics per year. Europe uses approximately 53 million tonnes of plastics and the UK utilises approximately five million tonnes of plastics in a year. Bioplastics make up about 0.1% of the global market at an approximate consumption volume of 300,000 tonnes per year and experts predict that this market will grow six-fold by 2011 reaching over 1.5 million tonnes per year. In Europe, bioplastic consumption is approximately 60-100,000 tonnes per year and the UK utilises an estimated 15,000 tonnes per year.

The otherwise nominal bioplastics sector is all set to take a leap in the coming years. According to European Bioplastics Association, the global production capacity for bioplastics is projected to grow four times by 2020. The factors in favour of the bioplastics are the hefty packaging taxes introduced in the Europe and the US , surging oil and feedstock prices that are making conventional polymers more expensive and the European directives designed to establish an infrastructure for compostable bioplastics collection. Conventional plastics have scored over bioplastics in terms of price. In the past, bioplastics packaging has cost roughly 20% to 100% more than the petroleum-based plastic. However, stringent packaging taxes imposed in Europe and US combined with the escalating oil and feedstock prices are leveling the field for bioplastics with petroleum-based plastics. According to Plastics Exchange in Chicago, as a result of the rising oil prices the price of resins like polypropylene (PP) has risen about 45%.

The prices of any biopolymer are likely to be high when it is only produced on a small scale. The scale of production is likely to have a greater influence on the price than the costs of the raw material source and of the chemistry involved. Today prices are bit high but at higher scales of production the price will fall to a range of 1 to 10USD per kg.

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MARKET AND PRICE OF BIOPLASTIC

 

The world currently utilises approximately 260 million tonnes of plastics per year. Europe uses approximately 53 million tonnes of plastics and the UK utilises approximately five million tonnes of plastics in a year. Bioplastics make up about 0.1% of the global market at an approximate consumption volume of 300,000 tonnes per year and experts predict that this market will grow six-fold by 2011 reaching over 1.5 million tonnes per year. In Europe, bioplastic consumption is approximately 60-100,000 tonnes per year and the UK utilises an estimated 15,000 tonnes per year.

The otherwise nominal bioplastics sector is all set to take a leap in the coming years. According to European Bioplastics Association, the global production capacity for bioplastics is projected to grow four times by 2020. The factors in favour of the bioplastics are the hefty packaging taxes introduced in the Europe and the US , surging oil and feedstock prices that are making conventional polymers more expensive and the European directives designed to establish an infrastructure for compostable bioplastics collection. Conventional plastics have scored over bioplastics in terms of price. In the past, bioplastics packaging has cost roughly 20% to 100% more than the petroleum-based plastic. However, stringent packaging taxes imposed in Europe and US combined with the escalating oil and feedstock prices are leveling the field for bioplastics with petroleum-based plastics. According to Plastics Exchange in Chicago, as a result of the rising oil prices the price of resins like polypropylene (PP) has risen about 45%.

The prices of any biopolymer are likely to be high when it is only produced on a small scale. The scale of production is likely to have a greater influence on the price than the costs of the raw material source and of the chemistry involved. Today prices are bit high but at higher scales of production the price will fall to a range of 1 to 10USD per kg.

More About

standard)

Physical properties

Mold shrinkage

0.0125-0.0155 in/in

Density

1.4g/cm³

Apparent viscosity(180ºC, 100 sec¯ ¹)

950 Pa-s

Thermal properties

Melting point

160-165ºC

Heat distortion temperature

143ºC

78ºC

Vicat softening temperature

147ºC

Mechanical properties

Tensile strength

26 MPa(3800psi)

Shrinkage

0.93% caliper

Tensile modulus

3400 MPa(494,000psi)

Tensile elongation brake

3%

Compressive yield Stength

65MPa (approx)

Compressive Modulus

2GPa (approx)

Flexural strength

44 MPa(6390psi)

Izod impact strength

26 J/m(0.5 ft lbs/in)

Hardness

54 shore D(90ºC,2.16kg)

Bending module

387 MPa

Moisture absorption

0.16% (23ºC, 50% RH)

Transparency

High

Oxygen barrier

Medium-high

Other Properties

Stackability

Fair

Puncture Resistance

Excellent

Crystallinity

60

Bioplastics also provides very good printability, without any pre-treatment. Apart from this PLA have particularly high glossiness, high transparency, and good aroma or fat barriers, high oxygen barrier properties, antistatic properties.

Now comparing with the petro-based plastic we find that bioplastics have enough potential that it can be implemented in the IBC, FIBC, Shrink wrapping, and as liners in the bulk packages.

Biological derived polymers may be used for the production bulk packages with the same technology used for conventional materials. These data proves that they are no where less in any physical, thermal, mechanical and barrier properties than conventional plastics.

Bioplastics have following several other important advantages over conventional plastics in bulk packaging which are as follows:

.

Compost derived in part from bioplastics increases the soil organic content as well as water and nutrient retention, with reducing chemical inputs and suppressing plant diseases.

Starch-based bioplastics have been shown to degrade 10 to 20 times quicker than conventional plastics.

On burning traditional plastics, create toxic fumes which can be harmful to people's health and the environment. If any biodegradable films are burned, there is little, if any, toxic chemicals or fumes released into the air.

Safe Biodegradability: In degradation test it was found that more than 90% of samples degrade in 10 months, according to the measurements of weight loss and CO2 production. There are water soluble biocomposites with solubility depending on the amount and the molecular weight and its crystallinity. Bioplastics like PHBV, PHB are biodegradable in soil, river, water, sea-water aerobic and anaerobic sewer sludge and compost. For example PHBV mineralizes in anaerobic sewer sludge to CO2, water and some percentage of methane to the extent of nearly 80% in 30 days. Another example is application of a special biocomposite in making of laundry bags for hospital and other institutions, where the bag dissolve during the washing and biodegrade after disposal into sewage. Samples of bioplastic compost, obtained by mixing the test material with organic waste, are compared with samples of a reference compost produced only with organic waste and was found that the effect of compost samples on the plant growth is assessed and during degradation, does not release substances toxic for the plants and environment. Composting is not the only environment in which the degradation of the biobased materials can occur. Soluble biobased material can be flushed in the sewage system and can be biodegraded in waste water treatment plants. Bioplastic materials can also be used in agriculture where the degradation takes place in soil.

Starch-based bioplastics are important not only because starch is the least expensive biopolymer but because it can be processed by all of the methods used for synthetic polymers, like film extrusion and injection moulding. Eating utensils, plates, cups and other products have been made with starch-based plastics.

Interest in soybeans has been revived, recalling Ford's early efforts. In research laboratories it has been shown that soy protein, with and without cellulose extenders, can be processed with modern extrusion and injection moulding methods.

Many water soluble biopolymers such as starch, gelatin, soy protein, and casein form flexible films when properly plasticized. Although such films are regarded mainly as food coatings, it is recognized that they have potential use as nonsupported stand-alone sheeting for food packaging and other purposes.

Starch-protein compositions have the interesting characteristic of meeting nutritional requirements for farm animals. Hog feed, for example, is recommended to contain 13-24% protein, complemented with starch. If starch-protein plastics were commercialized, used food containers and serviceware collected from fast food restaurants could be pasteurized and turned into animal feed.

Polyesters are now produced from natural resources-like starch and sugars-through large-scale fermentation processes, and used to manufacture water-resistant bottles, eating utensils, and other products.

Poly(lactic acid) has become a significant commercial polymer. Its clarity makes it useful for recyclable and biodegradable packaging, such as bottles, yogurt cups, and candy wrappers. It has also been used for food service ware, lawn and food waste bags, coatings for paper and cardboard, and fibers-for clothing, carpets, sheets and towels, and wall coverings. In biomedical applications, it is used for sutures, prosthetic materials, and materials for drug delivery.

Triglycerides have recently become the basis for a new family of sturdy composites. With glass fiber reinforcement they can be made into long-lasting durable materials with applications in the manufacture of agricultural equipment, the automotive industry, construction, and other areas. Fibers other than glass can also be used in the process, like fibers from jute, hemp, flax, wood, and even straw or hay. If straw could replace wood in composites now used in the construction industry, it would provide a new use for an abundant, rapidly renewable agricultural commodity and at the same time conserve less rapidly renewable wood fiber.

The widespread use of these new plastics will depend on developing technologies that can be successful in the marketplace. That in turn will partly depend on how strongly society is committed to the concepts of resource conservation, environmental preservation, and sustainable technologies. There are growing signs that people indeed want to live in greater harmony with nature and leave future generations a healthy planet. If so, bioplastics will find a place in the current Age of Plastics.

Safe for Medicinal Use: Quite a number of applications are suggested or tested or used in medicine. Most of the bioplastics like PLA, PHB, PHBV are non-toxic and compatible with living cells, producing an extremely mild foreign body response and the biodegradation rate is excellent. Applications such as controlled drug, surgical equipments, surgical swab, wound dressings and even blood compatible membranes can be quoted as typical applications for considerations in hospitals. These materials unlike cotton, small pieces of material from swab or dressing can be left in wound without danger of inflammation. These applications especially in medicine is considered by their optical activity and piezoelectric properties.

Compared to conventional plastics derived from petroleum, bio-based polymers have more diverse stereochemistry and architecture of side chains which enables research scientists a great number of opportunities to customize the properties of the final packaging material.

Thus with this added advantages and almost similar properties of LDPE, PVC, Nylon, HDPE, PP we can implement bioplastics in the bulk packaging industry at the places of these petroleum based plastics which are creating environmental pollution by its non degradability and harmful gas emission.

APPLICATIONS

Category

Advantages
Use

Advantages

Properties

Disadvantages

Evaluation

Medical

Dissolvable Sutures (Stitches)

Coatings for drugs

Non-toxic, biodegradable, bio-compatible, strong material

Cost of production
Long time to produce
Ethics of bacteria conditions (physiological stress)

Using biopolymer in the medical industry has reduced the quantity of invasive internal surgery, as the biopolymer implantations dissolve over time. This brings greater comfort and lower cost to the patient. However, with this better comfort also comes greater cost, a major issues with this product.

General disposable products

Bottles, Bags, nappies, wrapping, packaging etc..

Strength/hardness, high melting point, biodegradable

Cost of production
Long time to produce
Ethics of bacteria conditions (physiological stress)

Using biopol/PHB for disposable mass produced products ensure the impact society has upon the environment is reduced. Due to its biodegradable nature PHB products lessen the pressure on land fills and further pollution released from landfills, such as methane. Despite these positive uses, the high cost of production of PHB and biopol makes the polyerms still less favorable to use in the commercial market, when cheaper materials are on the market.