Monday 3 September 2012

Soft Biodegradable Bioplastic Elastomers from Italy


Dr. Marco Meneghetti, Laboratory & Bioplastics Product Manager, API Applicazioni Plastiche Industriali Spa (Italy) defined bioplastics as polymers which are biodegradable and compostable according to the EN 13432, 14995 and ASTM D6400 standards OR polymers made from renewable resources whether biodegradable or not.  API’s Apinat-bio® is a soft thermoplastic elastomer meeting the first part of the definition and Apilon52bio® meets the second part without being biodegradable.
Apinat-bio®  is available in Shore D hardnesses from 39-90 and has  been extruded, injection moulded, blown to film or coated and calendared onto textiles.  It is now being spun into fibres and nonwovens for disposable clothing.
Apilon 52bio® is a bio-based thermoplastic polyurethane with the same processability as oil-based TPU. Both polyester and polyether TPU’s are covered in the range.  Compared with oil-based TPU’s they offer a saving of 25% in non-renewable energy and a 36% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.


(from a paper given at the Biopolymer World Conference, Venice, April 2012)

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