< PreviousSET POINT ION CONDUCTIVE MEMBRANE ENHANCES LITHIUM AIR BATTERIES Toray Industries of Tokyo has developed an ion conductive polymer membrane for lithium air batteries. The membrane, used in separators, is designed to improve the safety and longevity of lithium air batteries and extend the cruising range of electric vehicles, industrial drones and urban air mobility (UAM) systems. Demand continues surging for rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles and other automotive applications, mobile electronic devices, stationary storage batteries and consumer applications. The rechargeable batteries are lightweight and deliver high energy densities. Lithium air batteries employ an air electrode at the anode and metallic lithium at the cathode. They weigh less than conventional lithium-ion batteries and reportedly provide a 10-fold higher theoretical specific energy density. The downside of using microporous film, a common separator in these batteries, is that different electrolytes used in the anode and cathode mix after repeated charge and discharge cycles. The batteries thus tend to deteriorate easily. Another issue is that deposition and growth of lithium dendrite, crystals that form during charging, can compromise safety by breaking through a separator and causing a short circuit between positive and negative electrodes. Toray designed a polymer that enables lithium-ion hopping (conduction in which lithium ions jump between adjacent sites) and leverages the molecular design technology of heat-resistant aramid polymers to create a lithium salt compound. The result is a non-porous polymer membrane with ion conductivity of 3 x 10-5S/cm. This high rate of conductivity reportedly allows batteries to operate despite the membrane being non- porous. Non-porosity makes it possible, in principle, to attain two types of electrolyte separation and suppresses lithium dendrite formation. Toray reports that lithium metal batteries employing the ion-conductive polymer film can operate stably 10 times longer during charge-discharge cycles than those using microporous film. The company will accelerate research and development to swiftly complete the new technology and deploy it with advanced rechargeable batteries, including for developing lithium-air batteries. The next generation of CityAirbus for urban air mobility is in development by Airbus. Toray’s ion conductive polymer membrane for lithium air batteries might figure in the design. Courtesy of Airbus MCLAREN-INSPIRED SHOE USES FEATURES LIKE CARBON FIBER Clearly, one cannot buy a luxury sportscar and wear run-of-the-mill footwear when driving it—especially if the sportscar is a McLaren whose top-of-the-line model, the Elva, costs just north of $1.7 million. So, a solution was needed. The answer: a collaboration between McLaren Automotive and Athletic Propulsion Labs (APL), a high- end shoe designer in Los Angeles. APL is producing the McLaren HySpeed, a collection in five colors. The APL/McLaren HySpeed features a three-piece segmented midsole with APL FutureFoam pods in the front and rear that are, notably, connected by a full-length lightweight carbon fiber plate topped by an all-new nitrogen-infused midsole compound that is engineered for high responsiveness and energy-rich compression. The shoe has a micro-fiber heel with extended wings and an internal advanced fitment system with three-piece cushion heel padding and what APL describes as its “signature Souffle Sockliner.” Goran Ozbolt, acting design director at McLaren Automotive, says the shoe seeks to recreate the experience of being in a McLaren. “Like stepping into a McLaren, it is all about optimizing performance, agility and speed.” No matter how one views it, the sleek look and use of lightweight carbon fiber in the design promises an experience that is intended to be as close to being in a McLaren—though not necessarily driving it—as possible. The HySpeed, high-end shoe comes in five colors and is a collaboration between McLaren and APL. APL/McLaren HySpeed shoe includes a carbon fiber plate for light weight and added performance. Photos courtesy of McLaren Automotive 8 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | SEPTEMBER 2022 | www.plasticsengineering.orgCJ BIO signed a memorandum of understanding with global hotel chain Accor to develop amenities made with polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a biodegradable material. The companies will work together to replace conventional disposable plastics products provided to hotel guests with PHA, which will help the chain deliver on its commitment to phase out single-use plastics that don’t biodegrade from hotels by the end of 2022. In the initial agreement, CJ BIO, a division of South Korea’s CJ CheilJedang, will replace products like cups, bags, combs, stationery and amenity containers at hotel chains in South Korea with PHA- based products. The organizations will then expand the agreement to Accor hotels in Asia-Pacific, and if results are positive, adopt PHA products globally. Accor has also committed to stop using industrial biodegradable materials that only decompose under certain conditions. The chain added guidelines to encourage the use of materials that are biodegradable at home, in the soil or at sea, or that are recycled or derived from paper or wood. CJ BIO is a pioneer in the development of PHA and a producer of amorphous PHA, which is TUV OK Certified for industrial and home compost and soil and marine biodegradability. Home compostable means a material does not require specialized equipment or elevated temperatures to fully degrade. The company makes amorphous PHA in Pasuruan, Indonesia, and plans to increase production to meet demand. Branded as PHACT Marine Biodegradable Polymers, amorphous PHA is a softer version of PHA that offers different performance characteristics than the crystalline or semi-crystalline grades that dominate the PHA market. The first product in this line is PHACT A1000P, which is used as a modifier in compostable polymers and biopolymers to improve functional and processing characteristics, and to enable these products to achieve faster biodegradation or composting. Accor operates more than 5,000 hotels in 110 countries. Brands include Fairmont, Pullman, Novotel, the Delano, Swissotel and other luxury chains. HOTEL CHAIN TO USE PHA IN DISPOSABLE AMENITIES Accor logo. The hotel chain seeks to meet its commitment to phase out single-use items made of conventional plastics by changing to biodegradable PHA. Courtesy of Accor STRUKTOL COMPANY OF AMERICA, LLC | Stow, Ohio | USA 330.928.5188 | CustomerService@struktol.com | www.struktol.com ENGINEERED TO IMPROVE PROCESS AND PRODUCT PERFORMANCE THROUGHOUT AN EXTENSIVE ARRAY OF INDUSTRIES. >Activators >Dispersants >Homogenizers >Lubricants > Metal Stearates > Montan Ester Wax Alternatives >Odor Control >Peptizers >Plasticizers > Polyethylene Waxes >Processing Agents > Silane Coupling Agents >Slip Agents (Amides) >Tackifiers > Viscosity Modifiers We’ve Got You Covered SPECIALTY ADDITIVES FOR THE POLYMER INDUSTRY www.plasticsengineering.org | SEPTEMBER 2022 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | 9SET POINT particularly in the production of end-use parts like dental aligners and automotive components,” says Stratasys CEO Dr. Yoav Zeif. “The acquisition of Covestro’s highly regarded additive manufacturing business positions us to further grow adoption of our newest technologies. We will now have the ability to accelerate cutting-edge developments in 3D printing materials and advance our strategy of providing the … most complete polymer 3D printing portfolio in the industry.” Most employees of the acquired entity will continue to be based in Geleen, Netherlands, and Elgin, Ill. Stratasys, p. 6 the technology by repeatedly adding and printing AM files using Defend3D’s Virtual Inventory Communication Interface (VICI). This provides a server application that manages the virtual inventory, assigns rights to remote manufacturers and provides the product in a one-click-print format with minimal training for end-users to securely stream. “Despite a network connection categorized commercially as having low to no connection, VICI facilitated speedy, secure and accurate printing. Based on expectations set at the beginning of the project, VICI did everything we needed it to do, and 7th SFG (A) was satisfied with the system performance and endorsed the capability for further development and implementation,” says Dr. Patrick Fowler, DEVCOM global technology advisor at ITC-UK. Each DEVCOM ITC has a global technology advisor who scouts technology in an area of operation. Project Prime began when one advisor was scouting AM technology in the Atlantic region, which includes London, Paris, Frankfurt, Germany, and Tel Aviv, Israel. The ITCs, which are part of DEVCOM’s Global Enterprise, serve as the forward-deployed eyes and ears of the Army Science and Technology Enterprise. Other DEVCOM ITCs cover North and South America; Northern and Southern Europe; Northeast and Southeast Asia; and the Southern Hemisphere. VICI ensures end-to-end encryption by enabling organizations to store their designs locally and use the virtual inventory to manufacture parts in remote locations. For example, a deployed soldier communicates a need, such as a spare part or modification to a part, to the CAD element at 7th SFG (A). The CAD element either designs the part from scratch or selects from a database of commonly used parts. The result is then streamed to the soldier in the field, who prints the part. Because the file is never sent, VICI prevents adversaries from accessing the information and identifying vulnerabilities in equipment and capabilities. “We made it a priority to pursue avenues that will allow us to operate in environments that are not conducive to regular resupply efforts. For detachments to stay in the fight in these environments, we explored systems that operate outside the conventional supply chains. Project Prime’s deployable 3D printer and VICI software enables secure transmission and an easy-to-use interface,” says Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jesse Peters, Innovation Cell, 7th SFG (A). Other benefits of the technology include: The printer operator does not need to be an expert in 3D printing to print required files. The interface prevents overloading the network since forward-deployed soldiers only see objects they have requested for their mission. It securely stores files in a sharable repository, including files created by the Defense Department and coalition networks. “Imagine this scenario: an Army Green Beret on a remote base develops a novel attachment for an existing Unmanned Aircraft System, which is stored in VICI. Then, a clever airman across the world at a remote airfield sees it and adds his or her twist. Next, a British soldier prints it and starts using it in operations,” Fowler says. During the training event, feedback was gathered in real time as the deployed soldiers communicated with the 7th SFG (A) Innovation Cell. Other information was collected after the training, including pros and cons of the system, software interface, training requirements and long-term durability. The 7th SFG (A) plans to train more of its soldiers in the technology to support an Army Southern Command deployment. Once the deployment is completed, ITC-UK will document all the activities and achievements of Project Prime and make it available to the broader Defense Department community. The information will benefit other DEVCOM centers and research laboratories, particularly the C5ISR Center, which focuses on securing communications to the tactical edge. The technology may also fill gaps with other Army units. “We’re looking for funding to further develop VICI to make it operable on a cell phone or small device, including a Raspberry Pi, which is a very small computer that plugs into a computer monitor, TV or similar small end-user device. This will make the solution, which is currently used on a laptop, even more deployable,” Fowler says. DEVCOM, is home to thousands of Army scientists, engineers, technicians and analysts working around the world to leverage cutting-edge technologies and empower the American warfighter with the data and abilities to see, sense, make decisions and act faster than adversaries. Defend3D’s Virtual Inventory Communication Interface provides reliable and secure AM capabilities to soldiers deployed in remote areas. Army, p. 7 TREXEL CEO BECHARD DIES Brian Bechard, president and CEO of MuCell foam molding and extrusion technology developer Trexel, died Aug. 6 of a heart attack during a rowing race on the Merrimack River. He was 48. David Bernstein, board chairman, is serving as interim CEO. Bechard was CEO of Trexel since 2015. He advanced MuCell Technology into new markets and applications. When he arrived at the company, Trexel mostly supplied its proprietary foaming technology to the automotive industry. Today, the company also has products and customers in packaging, footwear, blow molding and electronics, as well as advanced initiatives in the electric vehicle market. Prior to Trexel, he ran businesses in Europe and North America for Synventive, managed an injection and extrusion molding plant for Avery Dennison and served as a combat engineering officer in the U.S. Army. Bechard graduated from West Point and received an MBA from Harvard Business School. He leaves his wife, Patty, and sons Nathan and Evan. Brian Bechard 10 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | SEPTEMBER 2022 | www.plasticsengineering.org… where quality is measured. • 12/36 and 20/40 (stand-alone or attachments) twin screw extruders • Coming soon: pilot scale 30 mm parallel twin screw extruder • Versatility in confi guration to do multiple feed ports and segmented screw elements • Clam shell barrel design for more effi cient cleaning and rapid access to visualize the process • Counter or co-rotating confi guration available for the 20mm + 30mm TSE versatile · efficient Brabender ® Extrusion Lines The multipurpose machines for testing and processing Mini-Compounder B-TSE-A 12/36 with MetaStation 4E Stand-alone single screw extruder KE 30 with Univex and Film Quality Analyzer (German/International equipment shown) www.brabender.com C.W. Brabender® Instruments, Inc. • 50 East Wesley Street • South Hackensack, NJ 07606 • USA • Tel.: 201 . 343 . 8425 • E-Mail: sales@cwbrabender.com A modern applications laboratory is available for all customers and interested parties for trials with their own materials. All Brabender measuring systems can be tested under ideal conditions. An experienced expert team will assist all tests.DATA POINTS The economy in much of the world is unsettled, with inflation robbing profits, interest rate hikes raising borrowing costs and the price of investments, and the possibility of recession looming as a concern for business planners. Nevertheless, many plastics markets show strength. The following forecasts, based on research by consultant MarketsandMarkets of Northbrook, Ill., highlight materials and applications that are projected to see solid, even spectacular growth in coming years. All figures are global and cover five-year periods. PROSPECTING GRAPHENE 2020: $620 million 2025: $1.4 billion CAGR: 19 percent CARBON NANOTUBES 2021: $876 million 2026: $1.7 billion CAGR: 14.4 percent AEROSPACE COMPOSITES 2020: $23.8 billion 2025: $41.4 billion CAGR: 11.7 percent THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITES 2020: $22.2 billion 2025: $31.8 billion CAGR: 7.5 percent 3D PRINTING ELASTOMERS 2021: $162 million 2026: $583 million CAGR: 29.1 percent MICRO INJECTION MOLDING 2021: $995 million 2026: $1.7 billion CAGR: 11.2 percent MASTERBATCH MARKET 2020: $11.1 billion 2025: $14.3 billion CAGR: 5.1 percent WHITE INORGANIC PIGMENTS 2021: $22.7 billion 2026: $29.5 billion CAGR: 5.4 percent ANTIMICROBIAL PLASTICS 2020: $36.9 billion 2025: $59.8 billion CAGR: 10.1 percent CALCIUM CARBONATE 2019: $21.2 billion 2024: $28.3 billion CAGR: 6 percent POLYURETHANE FOAMS 2021: $42.8 billion 2026: $61.5 billion CAGR: 7.5 percent FLEXIBLE POUCHES 2021: $53.7 billion 2026: $73.5 billion CAGR: 6.5 percent 12 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | SEPTEMBER 2022 | www.plasticsengineering.orgTHE LEGAL ANGLE California bonked single-use plastics with a new law in late June. At its core the law is a dramatic example of the imposition of extended producer responsibility (EPR), which places significant financial and/or physical responsibility for the treatment and disposal of post-consumer products on producers. And while the law is a huge burden on industry and only might reduce plastics pollution in the state, its true significance may ultimately be in its influence on other states. The law has powerful provisions that target single-use plastics from many angles using different weapons. The burdensome EPR requirements phase in large financial obligations on industry to fund recycling infrastructure. The requirements apply to what the state calls “covered material,” which means: “(A) Single-use packaging that is routinely recycled, disposed of, or discarded after its contents have been used or unpackaged, and typically not refilled or otherwise reused by the producer. “(B) Plastics single-use foodservice ware, including, but not limited to, plastics-coated paper or plastics-coated paperboard, paper or paperboard with plastics intentionally added during the manufacturing process, and multilayer flexible material. For purposes of this subparagraph, ‘single-use foodservice ware’ includes the following: (i) Trays, plates, bowls, clamshells, lids, cups, utensils, stirrers, hinged or lidded containers and straws. (ii) Wraps or wrappers and bags sold to foodservice establishments.” There are exceptions for many types of packaging, including medical packaging and animal drug packaging, as well as beverage containers “subject to the California Beverage Container Recycling and Litter Reduction Act.” Also exempted is covered material for which the producer can demonstrate that while it’s not collected in residential recycling systems and isn’t separated at commingled recycling facilities, it nevertheless is recycled such that: “The material has demonstrated a recycling rate of 65 percent for three consecutive years prior to Jan. 1, 2027, and on and after that date demonstrates a recycling rate at or over 70 percent annually, as demonstrated to the department every two years.” The recycling requirement for covered material is being phased in. Specifically, the law requires plastic “covered materials” that are sold, distributed or imported into California to be recycled at a rate of 30 percent or more by 2028, 40 percent by 2030 and 65 percent by 2032. The law’s financial burdens on industry are significant. Plastics producers will be required to pay $500 million every year starting in 2027 toward an environmental mitigation surcharge “to be expended, upon appropriation by the Legislature, by specified state agencies on purposes relating to mitigating the environmental impacts of plastic.” There is a complex requirement for the creation of “producer responsibility organizations” (PROs) and industry members would need to keep and produce specified records. What’s more, the bill would require PROs to pay the “California circular economy administrative fee” to California government at a level determined by the state to be adequate to cover the costs of implementing the law. This law might influence governments and companies elsewhere just by its existence. Some state laws have influence that stretches beyond the state’s borders. An excellent example is California’s Proposition 65, designed to address exposures to harmful chemicals and protect drinking water, which for all intents and purposes might as well be an international treaty. Its requirements are a routine part of supplier information worldwide because companies want to lawfully sell products in California and don’t want to make one California-only product and another for sale everywhere else. This new set of requirements on single-use plastics might have a similar ripple effect. The state, however, isn’t the first to take aggressive anti-plastics actions. The United Nations recently took steps toward creating an international treaty addressing plastics waste (June Plastics Engineering, p. 10). And the Canadian government put in place bans on six types of plastic, starting this December. The full results of the new California provisions won’t be known immediately because the key requirements are being phased in over several years. But this aggressive and far- reaching state law will be an important test of various techniques aimed at reducing plastics waste. The burdens on industry will certainly kick in, but whether they result in reductions in plastics waste remain to be seen. Eric F. Greenberg is Principal Attorney of Eric F. Greenberg, PC, Chicago, with a practice concentrated in food and drug law, packaging law and commercial litigation. Website is www. Ericfgreenbergpc.com. This column is informational only and not legal advice. A version of this column appeared in the August 2022 edition of Packaging World. CALIFORNIA LAW TARGETS PLASTICS BY ERIC F. GREENBERG www.plasticsengineering.org | SEPTEMBER 2022 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | 13W hen SPE’s ANTEC conference got under way last June in Charlotte, N.C., it had been 1,185 days since the last in-person event, said Dr. Jason Lyons, SPE president and global market manager at Arkema. Lyons (shown in photo) was welcoming attendees to the first event of ANTEC 2022: keynotes on topics ranging from the economy to circularity, training and new ways—for most companies—to recruit, hire and retain good workers in a tight labor market. There was also a presentation by the new president and CEO of the Plastics Industry Association, MattSeaholm, about what PIA will do to promote the industry and communicate its benefits to diverse audiences, some of whom are critical of plastics and working to restrict and even eliminate it as an industry. The vibe in the conference room as the keynotes began was summed up by SPE CEO Pat Farrey, who asked the audience, “How cool is it to be looking at each other without a screen between us?” This was a reference to the virtual ANTECs of 2020 and 2021. Lyons said COVID-19 forced SPE to “find ways to stay relevant” not only with the conference but with learning, business opportunities and networking. New SPE initiatives include a professional development course, “Essentials of Management & Leadership in Plastics,” that focuses on preparing early to mid-level career professionals to become leaders at their companies and in the plastics industry. The first six-month session runs from October to March 2023. Individuals need to apply for admission, and cost is on a two-tier basis: one amount for SPE members and one for nonmembers. See www.4spe.org for information. “Teach the Geek” was developed to improve the ability of engineers to speak in front of audiences. Lyons said a U.S. National Institutes of Health survey found that 75 percent of respondents ranked public speaking as their No. 1 fear. “How much information is lost because no one wants to speak?” he asked. Teach the Geek is also available now. Entering its second year was another development that occurred during the pandemic: SPE’s DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) initiative, from 2021. This effort to promote the hiring, mentoring and professional advancement of underrepresented groups in the industry is a plus for business, and the right thing to do. Research shows companies that embrace DEI have better operations and greater profitability than those that do not. DEI also broadens the talent pool available to the industry and introduces diverse approaches to problem-solving. The main attraction of ANTEC 2022, however, was, as always, the presentations—both in-person and online. Papers covered a range of topics, from recent developments in injection molding technology to solvent bonding of PVC tubing to polycarbonate luers. Not surprisingly, many papers covered aspects of a subject that was high on attendees’ list of interests: sustainability. Following, are two such topics that stood out. —Pat Toensmeier FACE-TO-FACE: 14 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | SEPTEMBER 2022 | www.plasticsengineering.orgBEING BIOFRIENDLY Researchers focus on biobased and biodegradable plastics for the circular economy BY JENNIFER MARKARIAN Industrial and academic researchers presented their work on improving biodegradable and compostable polymers. At the end of their useful life, these plastics can be broken down under specific conditions into simple molecules, such as carbon dioxide and water. Proponents say that this end-of-life option fits well in the circular economy. Commercial biodegradable polymers include both biobased and fossil-fuel based polymers. For example, polylactic acid (PLA) is biobased. Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) can be produced by bacteria, plants and algae but is only biobased if the feed [to the fermentation bioreactor] is biobased, said Kelvin Okamoto, president of Green Bottom Line, a consultancy based in Carmel, Ind., during a presentation. Polybutylene succinate (PBS) and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) can be either fossil-fuel based or partially or fully biobased, he added. For biodegradable polymers, it is also important to distinguish the conditions under which a plastics part will biodegrade and how long it takes to do so. Widespread misunderstanding about what “biodegradable” means can cause confusion among materials users and consumers. Some biodegradable polymers, such as PLA, biodegrade only under industrial composting conditions. Other polymers may biodegrade in soil, home composting, marine and/or anaerobic digestion (AD) conditions. Standard tests, such as ASTM D6400, can be used to determine industrial compostable conditions, and organizations such as the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) and Compost Manufacturing Alliance (CMA) provide independent certification of test results. “Biodegradation occurs in two steps: disintegration into small particles and then biodegradation to completely biodegrade the material,” explained Okamoto. “A material may biodegrade but it is not biodegradable unless biodegradation is complete.” He cautioned that because the disintegration step generates small particles that can be called microparticles, users must be sure that biodegradation is complete, either in composting, AD or the environment. Biodegradable plastics could potentially be a lower environmental-footprint solution for some single-use items, such as utensils, take- out containers, cold-drink cups, coffee capsules or organic waste bags. Allowing disposal of food or other organic waste along with the container would simplify the process for consumers. Biodegradable polymers can be used to coat paperboard packaging or food containers. For example, BASF’s ecovio polymer is used as an inner coating for paperboard food packaging trays that can be commercially composted with waste in organic waste bins, the company said in a June press release. Although PLA biodegrades in industrial composting, there are not yet enough industrial composting facilities globally. “The U.S. and parts of Europe have better access to industrial composting than most of the world, but availability is still limited,” said Okamoto. In the U.S., many industrial composting facilities currently accept only yard scraps from the organic waste stream, said BPI, but the organization suggested that its new guidelines for labeling food packaging might help overcome some of the current challenges around collection of biodegradable products with food waste for industrial composting. Home or “backyard” composting is another potential solution for some biodegradable plastics. At ANTEC, researchers presented their experiments with ways to speed up the composting of PLA, so that it would be more economical to dispose of in industrial composting or could potentially even be home compostable. Adding PHA to PLA One idea is to add PHA to PLA, said Raj Krishnaswamy of CJ BIO during a presentation. PHA has the advantage of being biodegradable in industrial composting, home composting, and in marine and freshwater environments. The company recently commissioned its first small-scale production facility in Indonesia that is commercially producing an amorphous PHA (aPHA) called PHACT A1000P. The aPHA elastomer is useful as a modifier for other polymers, such as PLA and crystalline PHA, explained Krishnaswamy. The aPHA modifier improves flexibility to about the same level as isotactic PP, and it does not negatively affect clarity because it was designed to match the refractive index of PLA. The modifier also improves tensile elongation and tear strength, which are important for film applications, such as compost bags and food packaging. Adding PHA to PLA makes the composting rate of the blend faster relative to PLA, and it can potentially create a home compostable product. In May, CJ BIO and PLA manufacturer NatureWorks announced a signed letter of intent establishing a partnership to develop sustainable materials using PHA and PLA. Krishnaswamy also indicated that PHACT aPHA can also be used to modify PBS; adding 30 percent PHA has the potential to help home composting of PBS. “We hear from brands and consumers that they prefer home compostable solutions,” said Krishnaswamy. CJ BIO is building a second facility, expected to come online in 2023, to produce semicrystalline PHA. This product, blended with aPHA to improve properties, would be marine biodegradable as well as home compostable. It could be used in plastic films or as paper coatings. Biobased Additives In Prof. Raymond Pearson’s lab at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa., researchers experiment with a novel, biobased, core- shell particle that’s intended to serve the dual purposes of toughening PLA and enhancing PLA biodegradation at end-of-life. The particle DualPakECO trays coated with BASF’s ecovio PS 1606 break down into water, carbon dioxide and nutrient-rich compost within four to six weeks under commercial composting conditions. Courtesy of BASF www.plasticsengineering.org | SEPTEMBER 2022 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | 15shell encapsulates a biodegradation-promoting additive in the core. The shell is designed to keep the additive in the core during melt extrusion and service life, and to control its release at the desired time. Pearson presented the results of work by Dr. Caroline Multari who compounded the additive into PLA and extruded the compound into a filament for 3D printing. Tests showed that the additive did accelerate biodegradation under industrial composting conditions. Jordan Greenland, a student in Pearson’s lab, compounded the material and injection molded test specimens for evaluating mechanical properties. At ANTEC, he presented his research, which found that PLA with the additive had similar elongation at break as two commercial grades of toughened PLA. The experimental material had slightly poorer impact strength, but all three materials exhibited brittle failure in the impact test. Future work could lead to potentially home compostable grades of PLA. Degradable Mulch Film Mulch films are widely used in agriculture, but films made from conventional, non-biodegradable plastics that break down into brittle pieces at the end of their useful life are costly to remove from fields. Commercial solutions to this problem include biodegradable mulch films made from cellulose fiber or from blends of PBAT with PLA, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) or thermoplastic starch. However, existing films take a long time to fully biodegrade in the field, said Prof. Chris Lewis, a researcher at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, in a presentation. Researchers in his lab experimented with plasma treatment of films made from a commercial PLA/ PBAT blend as one way to enhance soil degradation by making the surface more amenable to microbe attachment, in a project funded by the Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research. The researchers probed the film surface with x-ray photo electron spectroscopy and confirmed that the treatment lasts at least 30 days, which is long enough for the film to be delivered and installed. Gel permeation chromatography confirmed that the treatment did not affect the molecular weight of the bulk polymer. One drawback was that the mechanical properties of the film were severely impacted, but this poor result may have been due to inconsistencies in the plasma treatment that caused pinholes. In a conventional burial test experiment over three months, they observed little degradation with the untreated film but a significant amount of brittleness and cracking with the film that had been plasma treated. Tests using a centrifugal assay method to separate samples, which were viewed by scanning electron microscopy, found that microbes did adhere better to the treated samples, which correlated with the observed degradation in soil. Lewis said the researchers would look at other methods for increasing soil degradation in a future project. NatureWorks LLC has been producing polylactic acid (PLA) polymers for two decades. PLA was among the first commercial biobased polymers to gain attention and use. The NatureWorks’ PLA manufacturing facility in Blair, Neb., came online 20 years ago, and since then the polymers have been specified in a range of applications. Leah Ford, senior global marketing communications manager, explained the use and benefits of Ingeo PLA polymers in this special ANTEC-related interview. What applications are a fit for PLA? The best applications are ones that take advantage of the biopolymer’s performance and sustainability. For example, in food applications, compostability is desired and recommended by circular economy frameworks. Many municipalities also mandate organics recycling programs to increase recycling, lower carbon footprints and reduce waste sent to landfills. Biobased compostable foodservice ware, paper coatings, bin liners, flexible packaging, tea bags or coffee capsules made with Ingeo are an easy way for consumers to direct food waste to compost, where it is a valuable nutrient, and keep it out of incineration or landfills where it generates methane as it degrades. In the U.S., food is the largest category of methane-emitting material sent to landfills. Landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the U.S. It’s important to keep food out of landfills through waste reduction and diversion to compost. PLA is compostable in industrial composting. How accessible is this? Many local and state governments in the U.S. have banned landfilling of organic waste and supported composting infrastructure to achieve waste diversion targets, lower regional carbon footprints and implement Extended Producer Responsibility programs. Access to compost infrastructure doubled between 2014 and 2017 in the U.S. According to a recent report from the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, 27 percent of the U.S. population has access to food waste composting programs and 11 percent has access to programs that accept some form of compostable packaging along with food waste. These are major advancements but there is more work to be done. The EPA has noted that diverting another 25 percent of the food waste landfilled in 2019 to compost facilities would reduce associated [greenhouse gas] emissions by approximately 30 percent. As composting is a pivotal pathway for mitigating climate change and not just reducing plastics waste, we see the U.S. and the world continuing accelerated development of this infrastructure. Does PLA contaminate mechanical recycling? We and others have published studies showing that PLA can be effectively sorted using NIR (near-infrared) sorting technology, reducing the misconception that PLA contaminates recycling streams. We now hear much more about how petrochemical plastics contaminate the rapidly growing organics recycling and commercial composting streams. These items can look like compostable plastics and reduce the ability of composters to produce high-quality compost. Are microplastics a concern in biodegradable plastics? There is concern over synthetic particles, as the impact of their chemistry, their potential toxicity, as well as their fate in the environment is poorly understood. Against that backdrop, we have spent the last two decades inventing responsible biomaterials made from everyday substances that exist in nature, starting [with] fermenting plant sugars to make lactic acid. This lactic acid building block allows us to manufacture materials that are safe, nontoxic and that ultimately, if they end up in a natural environment, will better mesh with natural cycles. Additionally, as part of our compostability certifications, PLA parts are tested to ensure biodegradability, leaving no microplastics. PLA is a bioaccessible polymer once fragmented into smaller polymer chains. —Jennifer Markarian NATUREWORKS TALKS PLA Nespresso coffee capsules made with Ingeo PLA are an easy way for consumers to direct food waste to compost, where it is a valuable nutrient, and keep it out of incineration or landfills. Courtesy of Ingeo 16 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | SEPTEMBER 2022 | www.plasticsengineering.orgBUILDING SUSTAINABILITY Innovative recycling projects demonstrate how plastics fit in the circular economy BY JENNIFER MARKARIAN There are many aspects of making and using plastics sustainably and multiple ways to reduce carbon footprint: making stronger polymers to allow lighter-weight parts, making polymers and end-use parts in more energy-efficient processes, using biobased material sources, designing for recyclability and using recycled plastics, to name a few. Speakers affirmed this message, and several presentations described recent work in recycling in particular. The Plastics Industry Association (PIA) sees sustainability as a key trend, and the trade group is focusing its advocacy and communications strategies on legislative and regulatory actions that affect plastics as well as upholding the reputation of the plastics industry, said Matt Seaholm, PIA’s president and CEO, in a keynote presentation. He pointed to the importance of increasing recycling rates “so that plastics is an even more sustainable material.” Although the anti-plastics message is strong and some groups work against recycling, he stated with confidence that plastics experts would come up with good solutions to the challenges. Seaholm explained that his organization was working to tell the true stories of companies— large and small—that are creating sustainable solutions. For example, the thisisplastics.com website highlights how recycling company Evergreen added an artificial intelligence- enabled sorting system from AMP Robotics. Seaholm said that PIA continues to coordinate its efforts with other U.S. industry groups, including SPE, the American Chemistry Council and the Association of Plastic Recyclers. “We want to find points of agreement in order to amplify the message [of plastics sustainability],” he explained. Sustainable in Charlotte In another keynote, Amy Aussieker (shown in photo), executive director of the public- private collaboration Envision Charlotte (North Carolina), described some of the sustainability projects taking place just miles from ANTEC at the organization’s Innovation Barn, which is the “epicenter for Charlotte’s transition to the circular economy.” The center aims to demonstrate technologies—such as new methods for plastics recycling—that could then be scaled up into commercial enterprises. In Charlotte and surrounding Mecklenburg County, only PET and HDPE containers with necks are collected in curbside recycling, although there are drop-off centers where residents can bring other plastic types. Envision Charlotte is working to increase recycling with local partners, Aussieker said. For example, bubble wrap is collected and returned to Sealed Air Corp., a manufacturer, which is based in Charlotte. Another project collects black and clear polypropylene takeout containers, which are reprocessed into filament for 3D printers in the Innovation Barn’s Plastics Lab. Aussieker said that having consumers sort recyclables will work better than sorting mixed materials at material recovery facilities. “We did a pilot project of a new recycling model in which 180 households opted in to collect their recyclables in multiple bags—a different bag for each type of material. The collected material had only one percent contamination,” she reported. On-Site PET Recycling Single-stream recycling, which collects one type of plastic, is predictably easier to work with than mixed streams because the material will have relatively uniform melt flow and other properties. An innovative example of a single stream is the large volume of PET—primarily from water and other beverage bottles— collected at U.S. military forward operating bases. The Department of Defense sponsored research to identify ways to recycle and reuse this PET on-base as a better solution than incineration of what can be 1000 pounds/day of bottles in some cases, said Richard Heggs, consultant at Engineering Mechanics Corp. of Columbus, Ohio. He presented research on two rPET projects that aim to use a portable “recycling factory in a box,” with processing equipment built inside three, 20-foot shipping containers that would be deployed along with troops to a base. The proposed recycling system includes sorting bottles into two streams—one with labels and one without. The bottles are cleaned and ground into PET flake. One project converts the rPET flake without labels into filaments for use in making 3D-printed parts that could be used on base. Another project seeks to use rPET flake with labels to make plastic lumber using flow molding. Although PET is not suitable for UV- exposure applications, the lumber could be used for the interior of light structural applications on the base, such as sheds, storage buildings or guard shacks. One need in industry is understanding the impact of using recyclate in a real application, such as addressing how many mechanical recycling loops a material can endure. The answer depends on the polymer type, the heat history and stress levels it sees during use and reprocessing, and the additive formulation. Additives—including polymer stabilizers, flow aids and others—are important for protecting polymers from degradation and can help restore properties after recycling and use. Questions www.plasticsengineering.org | SEPTEMBER 2022 | PLASTICS ENGINEERING | 17Next >