Biomax copolyesters

Copolyester of terephthalic acid, Biomax DuPont Environmental Petrochemistry... 

Copolyesters (such as BIOMAX ) which combine aromatic esters with aliphatic esters or other polymer units (e.g. ethers and amides) provide the opportunity to adjust and control the degradation rates. These added degrees of freedom on polymer composition provide the opportunity to rebalance the polymer to more specifically match application performance in physical properties, while still maintaining the ability to adjust the copolyesters to complement the degradation of natural products for the production of methane or humic substances. Since application performance requirements and application specific environmental factors and degradation expectations vary broadly, copolyesters are, and will continue to be, an important class of degradable polyesters. 

Compared with totally aliphatic copolyesters, aromatic copolyesters are often based on terephthalic diacid. BASF markets a product, Ecoflex, which is a copolyester of butanediol, adipic acid, and dimethyl terephthalate. Eastman s Eastar Bio Copolyester is similar aliphatic/aromatic copolyester. DuPont markets a modified PET known as Biomax [Chauhan, 2012]. 

Compared to totally aliphatic copolyesters, aromatic copolyesters are often based on terephthalic acid. Figure 17.2 and Table 17.2 show, the chemical structure and the properties of such products, respectively, (e.g., Eastar Bio from Eastman). Besides, BASF and DuPont commercialize aromatic copolyesters under Ecoflex (Steinbuchel and Doi 2002) and Biomax trademarks, respectively. Biomax shows a high terephthalic acid content that modifies some properties such as the melting temperature (200°C). But, according to Muller et al. (1998), an increase of terephthalic acid content tends to decrease the degradation rate. Ecoflex biodegradation has been analyzed by Witt et al. (2001). They concluded that there is no... 

Ecoflex, manufactured by BASF, is a random copolyester based on terephthalic acid (40-45%), adipic acid (55%), and 1,4-butanediol, plus chain-extending additives (Table 1). A modified poly(ethylene terephthalate) copolyester is manufactured by DuPont as Biomax (Table 1). 

Products that fulfil the requirements Products of 24 producers are certified by DIN CERTCO as compostable materials. Examples of pofymeric materials recognized and labelled as compostable include polylactic acid (e.g. Natiue Works PEA, Mitsui Lacea), thermoplastic starch (BIOTEC BIOPLAST), polycaprolacone (Solvay Caprolactones Solvay Interox CAPA), starch-based blends (Novamont Mater Bi), ahphatic-aromatic copolyesters (BASF Ecoflex, DuPont Biomax). 

---