Collaborative Research Develops Highly Functional PLA Blend
Convex Plastics, June 24th, 2010Convex Plastics and the national Plastics Centre of Excellence (PCoE) have developed a new blend of biodegradable Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) with similar performance characteristics to high density polyethylene film.
Featuring high tear and impact strength, the new PLA film is opaque and a lot easier to handle, seal and process than the brittle conventional PLA film.
Convex Technical Manager Andrew Sheerin says, “The Plastics Centre of Excellence has given us a good functional bio-degradable film that will deliver the ideal performance characteristics for a wide range of packaging applications. This film is very easy to process and is an extremely good option for companies wanting environmentally friendly packaging with similar performance characteristics to non-renewable petroleum based films.”
The new PLA film incorporates 90% biodegradable material and will almost completely degrade within 90 days at 60° degrees Celsius.
The commercialisation of the new PLA blend is the outcome of the first research programme conducted by the PCoE, which opened last October at the University of Auckland Tamaki Campus.
Supported by up to $5 million in government funding, the PCoE is a joint venture between the University of Auckland and Plastics New Zealand, the industry's trade association. One of the PCoE’s objectives is to conduct applied industry research to develop leading-edge polymers and processes.
Rosanne Ellis, Auckland UniServices Ltd Business Manager – Engineering, says the PLA research project with Convex Plastics aimed to develop a technology that allowed biodegradable and renewable resourced products to be manufactured using the blown film process.
“Some very large international companies have attempted to produce a similar material with a high level of biodegradability without success. It is therefore very encouraging for the newly established Plastics Centre of Excellence, with the help of Convex, to have succeeded where others have failed.”
Rosanne says Convex played a critical part in the development programme by making their resources and staff available for prototype material manufacture and testing.
“The input from the Convex technical and manufacturing team has been invaluable in the commercialising of this leading edge technology. Their constructive input derived from experience with processing and fabrication ensured the project was relevant to industry.”
Moving forward, the PCoE intends to refine the technology for specific applications and develop a variety of PLA blends to meet market requirements.
The new PLA blend is now available from Convex Plastics. For more information contact Andrew Sheerin on: 07 958 1770, Mob. 021 190 3898 or andrew.s@convex.co.nz