Ecoflex® and Ecovio®: Biodegradable, Performance-Enabling Plastics

Siegenthaler, Kai Oliver; Künkel, Andreas; Skupin, Gabriel; Yamamoto, Motonori

doi:10.1007/12_2010_106

Cited by 113 publications

(87 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…[ 38 ] In view of the high water solubility of starch, several companies have developed biohybrids using starch as a blend component with hydrophobic nondegradable polyolefi ns and compostable polyesters such as terephthalic acid/adipic acid/1,4-butanediol copolyesters (Ecofl ex TM from BASF SE). [ 39 ] Chitosan contains glusosamine repeat units and is derived by partial or full deacetylation of chitin, which is obtained from the shells of shrimps, crabs, and lobsters. Its annual production quantity is very similar to that of cellulose.…”

Section: Wood/plastics Composites and Cellulosementioning

confidence: 99%

Green Polymer Chemistry and Bio‐based Plastics: Dreams and Reality

Mülhaupt

2012

Macro Chemistry & Physics

604

415

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Dwindling fossil resources, surging energy demand and global warming stimulate growing demand for renewable polymer products with low carbon footprint. Going well beyond the limited scope of natural polymers, biomass conversion in biorefineries and chemical carbon dioxide fixation are teamed up with highly effective tailoring, processing and recycling of polymers. “Green monomers” from biorefineries, and “renewable oil”, gained from plastics' and bio wastes, render synthetic polymers renewable without impairing their property profiles and recycling. In context of biofuel production, limitations of the green economy concepts are clearly visible. Dreams and reality of “green polymers” are highlighted. Regardless of their new greenish touch, highly versatile and cost‐effective polymers play an essential role in sustainable development.

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Section: Wood/plastics Composites and Cellulosementioning

confidence: 99%

Green Polymer Chemistry and Bio‐based Plastics: Dreams and Reality

Mülhaupt

2012

Macro Chemistry & Physics

604

415

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“…Ecoflex is a tear-resistant and flexible polymer with mechanical properties similar to polyethylene (Siegenthaler et al, 2012). The addition of a 20% of PLA provided increased resistance and stiffness to Ecoflex films.…”

Section: Mechanical Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Ecoflex® produced by BASF is an example of a synthetic biodegradable copolyester obtained from fossil monomers 1,4-butanediol, adipic acid and terephthalic acid. Ecoflex® combines the good biodegradability known for aliphatic polyesters with the good mechanical properties of aromatic polyesters (Siegenthaler, Künkel, Skupin, & Yamamoto, 2012). Polylactic acid (PLA) is an aliphatic polyester derived from renewable sources, mainly starch and sugar (Lim, Auras, & Rubino, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of biodegradable films with antioxidant properties based on polyesters containing α-tocopherol and olive leaf extract for food packaging applications

Marcos

Sárraga

Castellari

et al. 2014

Food Packaging and Shelf Life

110

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Biodegradable films with antioxidant properties based on Ecoflex® and Ecoflex®-polylactic acid (PLA) containing α-tocopherol and olive leaf extract were developed by blown film extrusion.There was a good recovery of tocopherol from Ecoflex films (98-112%). Oleuropein and oleuroside were the main antioxidants detected in the studied olive leaf extract. A reduction of oleuropein content (21-33%) and an increase of oleuroside (14-31%) were observed in Ecoflex and Ecoflex/PLA films. All the films showed antioxidant capacity in vitro. The films containing tocopherol exhibited higher antioxidant activity than the films containing olive leaf extract.The incorporation of both antioxidants gave a coloured taint to the films. The films containing olive leaf extract showed the highest colour changes (ΔE). Films containing 2.8% of antioxidants showed increased elongation at break (EB), however at higher antioxidant concentrations reductions of tensile strength and EB were observed. These results confirmed the feasibility to produce antioxidant films with Ecoflex and Ecoflex/PLA blend. However, the concentration of antioxidant that can be added to the films is constrained by the changes induced on the physical properties. The weak interaction between the antioxidants and the polymer matrix would provide a material suitable for food products with a short shelf life.

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“…Common polymeric constituents of BDMs include starches, polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), polycaprolactone (PCL), polybutylene succinate (PBS) and PBS-co-adipate (PBSA), with mulches most often containing blends of these [3,12]. Recent studies have demonstrated the loss of mechanical strength and partial conversion into CO 2 for BDMs when buried in soil or placed at the water-air surface [1,3,[13][14][15][16][17][18]. But, BDMs also have undesirable attributes, including high price (2.5 9 conventional polyethylene mulches) [19], an uncontrollable and unpredictable onset and rate of biodegradation [20], and low biobased content (e.g., PBAT and PBS are mainly derived from fossil fuel feedstocks) [2,12,21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Simulated Weathering on Physicochemical Properties and Inherent Biodegradation of PLA/PHA Nonwoven Mulches

Hablot

Dharmalingam²,

Hayes³

et al. 2014

J Polym Environ

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The effect of simulated weathering on the physicochemical properties and biodegradability of four fully biobased and potentially biodegradable agricultural mulches prepared nonwoven textile technology, consisting of randomly oriented fibers of average diameter 7-16 lm, has been investigated. Two mulches were prepared from polylactic acid (PLA) using spunbond processing, one naturally white and the other black (SB-W and SB-B, respectively), and two via meltblown processing, from 100 % PLA and a 75/25 w/w blend of PLA and polyhydroxyalkanoate [PHA; poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate); MB-PLA and MB-PLA?PHA, respectively]. SB-W and SB-B possessed higher tensile strength than MB-PLA and MB-PLA?PHA (56.2N, 37.1N, 8.96N, and 3.90N, respectively). Simulated weathering introduced minor changes in physicochemical properties of SBs, but enhanced inherent biodegradability, yielding 68-72 % mineralization in 90 days. Simulated weathering greatly affected the physicochemical properties of the MB mulches, particularly MB-PLA?PHA, which underwent a 95 % loss of tensile strength, 32 % decrease of weightaveraged molecular weight (from 95.4 to 70.5 kDa), and breakage of microfibers, during a 21 days weatherometry cycle. Weathering accelerated the biodegradation of both MB mulches, with the time course of biodegradation and final extent of biodegradation (91-93 % in 90 days) nearly matching the value obtained for the cellulosic positive control. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy suggested the SB and MB mulches underwent hydrolysis and photodegradative chain scission (Norrish Type II reaction). SB nonwovens may prove useful as biobased and compostable materials for multi-season mulching, and other longterm agricultural applications, such as for row covers in perennial cropping systems. MB nonwovens may be better suited for more traditional agricultural mulch applications.

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Ecoflex® and Ecovio®: Biodegradable, Performance-Enabling Plastics

Cited by 113 publications

References 15 publications

Green Polymer Chemistry and Bio‐based Plastics: Dreams and Reality

Green Polymer Chemistry and Bio‐based Plastics: Dreams and Reality

Development of biodegradable films with antioxidant properties based on polyesters containing α-tocopherol and olive leaf extract for food packaging applications

Effect of Simulated Weathering on Physicochemical Properties and Inherent Biodegradation of PLA/PHA Nonwoven Mulches

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