The bioeconomy at work: flexible bioplastics
Develop a plastic that can withstand high temperatures, that is flexible and that can be bended 10,000 times without showing any cracking. Not an easy task. Now add the following command: don't use any petroleum in the process, because petroleum is expensive, it doesn't bio-degrade, it contributes to climate change and it pollutes the oceans and enters the food chain.
Well, Japanese engineers succeeded in the task. Fujitsu has developed a bioplastic based on Arkema’s Rilsan biopolyamide material that can withstand repeated bending. The Japanese teletronics group said it is considering using the new bioplastic for small components in notebook PCs and mobile phones, such as connector covers.
Fujitsu has been a pioneer in developing and using bioplastics in applications such as the housing of notebooks made from a blend of around 50% PLA (polylactic acid, the lactate of which is derived from starch obtained from for example corn or cassava) with an amorphous plastic. Despite this earlier project, it said it wanted a new bio-based polymer with a higher bio-content that features superior flexibility and is suitable for mass-production.
Fujitsu worked with Arkema in developing the new bioplastic that has as its principal component Rilsan PA-11, which is derived from castor oil. This plant oil is made from the beans of the Ricinus communis plant [crop file], a shrub grown mainly in Brazil, China and India but originating in East Africa:
biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: bioplastic :: biopolymer :: ricinus communis :: castor oil :: biodegradable :: bioeconomy ::
Castor oil has an unusual composition and chemistry, which makes it quite valuable. Ninety percent of fatty acids in castor oil are ricinoleic acid. Castor oil and its derivatives already have found applications in the manufacturing of soaps, lubricants, hydraulic and brake fluids, paints, dyes, coatings, inks, cold resistant plastics, waxes and polishes, nylon, pharmaceuticals and perfumes.
The new highly flexible, heat tolerant plastic was made by “weakening the interaction of the chain molecule in PA-11 and relaxing the stereo-regularity of their organization, the resulting new material has sufficient flexibility to withstand repeated bending without causing the whitening that often occurs when such materials are strained.”
Fujitsu has created a prototype notebook PC-cover whose components now have a very high bio-content of 60-80%. “Even after adding high-density fillers to increase strength, the polymer maintains good impact-resistance and thus it is hoped that the material could eventually be used in PC chasses and other larger components,” it said.
The company plans to continue research into castor oil-based plastics (as well as PLA) and is aiming to manufacture small components for notebook PCs and mobile phones by 2008. Its research will also focus on use of the new bioplastic in larger components.
Well, Japanese engineers succeeded in the task. Fujitsu has developed a bioplastic based on Arkema’s Rilsan biopolyamide material that can withstand repeated bending. The Japanese teletronics group said it is considering using the new bioplastic for small components in notebook PCs and mobile phones, such as connector covers.
Fujitsu has been a pioneer in developing and using bioplastics in applications such as the housing of notebooks made from a blend of around 50% PLA (polylactic acid, the lactate of which is derived from starch obtained from for example corn or cassava) with an amorphous plastic. Despite this earlier project, it said it wanted a new bio-based polymer with a higher bio-content that features superior flexibility and is suitable for mass-production.
Fujitsu worked with Arkema in developing the new bioplastic that has as its principal component Rilsan PA-11, which is derived from castor oil. This plant oil is made from the beans of the Ricinus communis plant [crop file], a shrub grown mainly in Brazil, China and India but originating in East Africa:
biomass :: bioenergy :: biofuels :: energy :: sustainability :: bioplastic :: biopolymer :: ricinus communis :: castor oil :: biodegradable :: bioeconomy ::
Castor oil has an unusual composition and chemistry, which makes it quite valuable. Ninety percent of fatty acids in castor oil are ricinoleic acid. Castor oil and its derivatives already have found applications in the manufacturing of soaps, lubricants, hydraulic and brake fluids, paints, dyes, coatings, inks, cold resistant plastics, waxes and polishes, nylon, pharmaceuticals and perfumes.
The new highly flexible, heat tolerant plastic was made by “weakening the interaction of the chain molecule in PA-11 and relaxing the stereo-regularity of their organization, the resulting new material has sufficient flexibility to withstand repeated bending without causing the whitening that often occurs when such materials are strained.”
Fujitsu has created a prototype notebook PC-cover whose components now have a very high bio-content of 60-80%. “Even after adding high-density fillers to increase strength, the polymer maintains good impact-resistance and thus it is hoped that the material could eventually be used in PC chasses and other larger components,” it said.
The company plans to continue research into castor oil-based plastics (as well as PLA) and is aiming to manufacture small components for notebook PCs and mobile phones by 2008. Its research will also focus on use of the new bioplastic in larger components.
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