Novamont, thermoplastic starch

During the same period, commercialization of thermoplastic starch polymer blends was pursued by Novamont, a division of the Ferruzzi Group of Italy.162-172 Their products, marketed under the trade name Mater-Bi, are typically comprised of at least 60% starch or natural additive and hydrophilic, biodegradable synthetic polymers.64,165 It is stated that these blends form interpenetrated or semi-interpenetrated structures at the molecular level. Properties of typical commercial formulations have properties similar to those in the range of low- and high-density PE. Blends of Mater-Bi products with biodegradable polyesters have been claimed for use as water impervious films.173... 

Novamont www.novamont.com/ Materbi Thermoplastic starch polymer blends biodegradable mulch films and bags, thermoformed products, injection molded items, and packaging foam... 

Mater Bi ZlOlU/C, thermoplastic starch - poly-e-caprolactone, biodegradable and compostable, mainly for films and sheets no sensitivity to humidity, no ageing, high UV stability, high hydrolytic stability, from Novamont S.p.A. 

The weight changes of the sample Mater Bi YlOlU was higher than for the sample Mater Bi ZlOlU/C. It confirms the Novamont statement, that Mater Bi ZlOlU/C, which is thermoplastic starch - poly-e-caprolactone, has... 

Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) Some of its main applications are films (mulch, containers, bags), filaments, thermoformed and injection moulded products, and blown bottles. Two products in the market are Ecoflex (BASF, 14,000 t per year) and MaterBi (former EasterBio/Eastman, now Novamont, 15,0001 per year). For some applications, PBAT has a very low stiffness, and may be mixed with PITB or PEA, for example. It may also be mixed with thermoplastic starch [69, 71]. 

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). 

The results obtained in the field of thermoplastic starch in combination with polymers or copolymers of vinyl alcohol with aliphatic polyesters and copolyesters in terms of biodegradation kinetics, mechanical properties and reduced sensitivity to humidity make these materials ready for a real industrial development starting from film and foam applications. The present global market is around 12000 tons/year. Main producers are Novamont with Mater-Bi trade-mark, ENPAC and National Starch. The tensile properties of films made of two Novamont s Mater-Bi grades are reported in Table 3, in comparison to these of low density polyethylene (LDPE). Figs. 6-7 show applications of Mater-Bi starch-based materials now on the market. 

However, up to now the most important result in starch technology from Novamont is the attainment of nanostructured composites, where thermoplastic starch represents the dispersed phase and different types of aliphatic/aromatic copolyesters represent the continuous phase [85, 86]. In these products, nanostructured starch gives an important contribution to the mechanical performance in terms of toughness and stability at different humidity and temperature conditions. The development of new aliphatic and aliphatic/aromatic copolyesters, containing renewable monomers from vegetable oils, has further improved the performances of these kinds of products and their environmental compatibility. 

An important starch-based foam is Novamont s Mater-Bi Class V grade material. The content of thermoplastic starch is more than 85% [12]. Novamont in Italy has patented... 

Novamont has been developing thermoplastic starch based polymers since 1990. Mater-Bi polymers are based on thermoplastic starch-blend technologies and product apphcations include biodegradable mulch films and bags, thermoformed packaging products, injection moulded items, personal hygiene items and packaging foam, [http //www.novamont.com/]... 

Bastioli C, Biodegradable materials - Present situation and future perspectives , Macromolecular Symposia, vl35 193-204 (1998). (An excellent summary of thermoplastic starch polymers from one of Novamont s leading scientists.)... 

Mater-Bi (Novamont, Environmental Packaging, L. P.) Thermoplastic, compatibiUzed blends of starch with aliphatic polyesters, EVAl, PVAl,... 

Mater-Bi Starch-based biodegradable thermoplastics Novamont... 

Bastioli C, BeUottiV, Montino A.Tredici GD, Lombi R, Ponti R. Biodegradable polymeric compositions based on starch and thermoplastic polymers. US 5,412,005. Novamont 1991. 

In the biodegradable plastics market, aliphatic polyesters (in the main PLA, the present main competitor of starch thermoplastics) sell for 1.5-2.5 per kilo. Starch itself is very cheap ( 0.33 per kilo), but starch-based biopolymers such as Mater-Bi (from Novamont) are more expensive ( 2.40-3.4 per kilo) [6]. 

The reference commercial starch-based biodegradable polymers are marketed by Novamont in Italy imder the name Mater-Bi . This starch-based technology permits going beyond conventional compounding. In the presence of different synthetic polymers, starch can undergo a thermoplastic transformation up to destructurisation the destructurised starch composites can reach starch contents higher than 50% [83]. 

The mechanical properties and water absorption behaviour of composites made from a starch-based thermoplastic matrix in combination with alkali-treated sisal fibres were studied by Alvarez et al. (2003). The variables in their experiments were fibre percentage, temperature and process time. The selected matrix was Mater-Bi -Y (Novamont), a blend based on cellulose derivatives, starch and additives (Cyras et al, 2001). Composites were prepared by blending Mater-Bi -Y with fibres in a high-intensity mixer and then compression moulding the compounded material into panels. Mechanical tests showed that the tensile modulus more than doubled from 0.95 GPa to 2.2 GPa when the fibre content was increased from 0 to 15%. Fibre treatment with sodium hydroxide solution had no statistically significant effect on tensile modulus. Similarly, the flexural modulus increased from roughly 1.4 GPa to 2.8 GPa when Mater-Bi -Y was reinforced with 15% w/w sisal fibre but was not significantly increased when alkali-treated fibres were used. 

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